By Gabriela Baron
A reporter from Cebu Daily News (CDN) covering the Pamplona massacre, which involved the slay of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo, was killed in a road mishap.
Pegeen Sararaña, 24, passed away Monday evening, March 13, a day after she figured in a road accident in San Jose, Negros Oriental Sunday afternoon.
According to CDN, Sararaña was in Negros Oriental to cover the Pamplona massacre, which killed Degamo and eight other civilians.
Sararaña was onboard her boyfriend, Niel Ian Balcobero’s motorcycle. They were waiting to make a left turn at Crossing Siapo in Barangay Tampi in San Jose when an ELF truck overtook a long-bed truck behind their motorcycle.
The overtaking ELF truck hit the motorcycle and dragged it at least 35 feet away, according to San Jose Police Station Police Executive Master Sergeant Oliver Rosario.
Balcobero, meanwhile, remained admitted to the hospital as of Monday night for the treatment of his injuries.
The truck driver, identified as Nielric Gaso, 27, was briefly detained at the San Jose Police Station.
Kind, gentle
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP)-Cebu mourned the passing of Sararaña.
Sararaña began her career as a journalist in Cebu in 2020 where she had been covering crime beats in Central Visayas.
“She was known and loved by her friends in the media for her kindness and gentleness. Pegeen was quiet but was always willing to lend a hand,” NUJP-Cebu said.
“Despite all that she had been through, and the hardships she had faced, she persisted and found a deeper calling in journalism,” it added. -ag
