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MORONG, Bataan: A 32-year old priest who was ordained just a year
ago collapsed and died while on his third song at a videoke in a
beach resort in Morong town where he and other priests and office
staff of the St. Joseph Cathedral in Balanga City had an outing.
Fr. Robert del Rosario of Balagtas, Bulacan was
rushed to the Morong Health Center past 6:30 pm on Monday and later
to the James Gordon Memorial Hospital in Olongapo City where
attending physicians declared him dead on arrival.
He was born on March 10, 1976, and ordained to
the priesthood on March 10, 2007. At the time of his death, del
Rosario was founding director of the St. James Catholic School in
Morong where he was to be assigned as parish priest.
Felizardo del Rosario blamed no one for the
death of his son, the eldest among four children. “Kalooban ng
Panginoon ang nangyari [It was God’s will],” the father said.
The elder del Rosario said his son died of cardiac arrest and not
from electrocution as earlier reported.
“May inirereklamo na siyang masakit sa dibdib,
subalit hindi ito pinapansin ng anak ko dahil abala siya sa trabaho
[Apparently, he already had something in his chest that was
troubling him although he chose to ignore this as he was busy with
work],” he said, adding “kung nakuryente siya dapat sa unang
kanta pa lamang pero nakadalawa na siya bago bumagsak [had it been
electrocution, he would have collapsed instantly, instead he went on
to perform two more songs].”
The old man said his son had a locked jaw after
falling down the floor of the videoke and companions tried but
failed to revive him.
Senior Police officer 3 Rommel Morales said the
victim was about to finish his third song at the videoke of
Manager’s Place Beach Resort in Nagbalayong, Morong when he lost
consciousness and fell. Those around him had the impression that the
young priest was just trying to hit a high note when he suddenly
fell. His companions tried pumping his heart before rushing him to
the Morong Health Center in the poblacion. Dr. Emma Bugay issued a
post mortem report that the victim died primarily of cardiac arrest
secondary to electric shock, Morales said.
While the companions of the young priest had
begged off from being interviewed, another priest who requested not
to be named said that before Father Robert used the microphone some
others had used it.
Police said the microphone might have been
grounded because the victim was wet after swimming in the beach.
“But this is not enough to kill someone,” Morales said, basing
his statement on the report of the Morong doctor. A previous police
report said the priest died of electrocution and was on a retreat.
Fr. Robert will be interred in the Priest plot
at the Eternal Shrine Memorial Park in Balanga City after a 9:00
a.m. mass on Friday at the St. Joseph Cathedral where his remains
lie in state.
-- Ernie B. Esconde
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