"Lifesaver" award for Bahinting tomorrow

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Government will give the Lifesaver Award to Capt. Jessup Bahinting in a simple ceremony at his wake at St. Peter’s Memorial Chapels on Saturday.

The family will receive the award on his behalf.

It is Cebu City’s way of showing its gratitude for a life saved because of the kindness of the deceased pilot.

Mayor Michael Rama also proposed to give the family P100,000 cash reward but he said, it will depend on the availability of funds.

He said the award will not have to wait until the Charter Day, which is still more than five months away.

Bahinting allowed to let one of his planes airlift the anti-venom vaccines from Camiguin for Cebu City zookeeper Ronald “Ronron” Aventurado who was bitten by a cobra.

Aventurado was discharged from the hospital last Wednesday.

The remains of Bahinting and his Nepalese co-pilot, Kshitiz Chand, arrived in Cebu yesterday.

Bahinting’s wake will be opened for public viewing until Saturday night.

On Sunday, a flower drop and a fly-by of several light planes will be done to honor the fallen pilot.

“We planned that there will be a helicopter to drop flowers just as the casket will be taken outside of the chapel. This serves as tribute to a fallen brother and hero,” City Traffic Operations Management chairman Jack Jakosalem said.

Jakosalem is Bahinting’s close friend.

Then, his body will be brought to Ginatilan, Cebu where he will be laid to rest at 3 p.m. on Monday.

Michelle Ferrol, Human Resources Manager of Aviatour Air said Chand’s remains will be shipped to Nepal to be laid to rest in Hindu burial rituals.

The flying school will shoulder the expenses and Chand’s papers are now being processed.

Chand’s father Tek Bahadur Chand and uncle came to Cebu after the news broke out.

In Consolacion town, Mayor Teresa Alegado said she will recommend to the top officials of the Philippine National Police to name the PNP Regional Training School in the town as Secretary Jess Robredo Training School.

One of Robredo’s reasons for coming to Cebu last Saturday was to attend the ground breaking ceremony of the training school.

He was supposed to take a commercial flight but opted to let Bahinting fly him to Naga City. Bahinting put off his trip to Ginatilan that day to accommodate the secretary. He brought with him his student, Chand.

They crashed off Masbate while attempting an emergency landing.Robredo’s aide, Sr. Insp. Jun Paolo Abrazado, was the only survivor.

Chand’s roommate and close friend was traumatized by the incident and decided to temporarily stopped flying.

His other friends and colleagues also mourn his death.

“We are all low of what happened it was just a bad dream and we wanted to wake up because we can’t accept of what happened,” Habib David Yakubu, flight instructor said.

The Talisay City Council has expressd their deepest condolences to the Bahinting family.

They have been living in Barangay San Isidro since 1991.

When Bahinting’s body arrived yesterday, his widow, Margarita remained calm although she said the pain is still very hard to bear.

 “I always pray that God will give me strength because I know that all of this is His plan and that our life here is only temporary. He is a great loss not only to the company, to the family but also to the church,” she said.

The Bahinting family is a member of the Grace Communion International (GCI), formerly the Worldwide Church of God (WCG), an evangelical Christian denomination.

Jessup was a national leader of their church in Cebu City.

Margarita assured to continue Jessup’s legacy. — Jessica Ann R. Pareja/Ria Mae Y. Booc/ Garry B. Lao/Jose P. Sollano /MBG - THE FREEMAN