Nursing student who saved ‘slashed’ mango seller identified

THE young nursing student who assisted a 58-year-old mango vendor after the latter's throat was slashed by her live-in partner in downtown Cebu City is finally identified.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, February 1, 2023, the University of Cebu said that Angyl Faith Ababat, a second year nursing student studying at their Banilad campus, was the one who assisted Bernadeta Zamora on Monday, January 30, 2023.

Zamora was selling mangoes across a commercial building in Plaridel Street, downtown Cebu City on Monday when her live-in-partner, Edwin Salazar, suddenly pulled her and slashed her neck before fleeing.

“Faith in humanity restored by one of our nursing students. Kudos! Angyl for the kind deed and genuinity that you showed to people in need,” the UC said.

In the same statement, Ababat said she was hesitant at first to respond to Zamora’s situation as there were students taking pre-medicine and medicine there at that time.

“But no one responded man, and when I saw Nanay that she was about to collapse, I thought to myself, if no one would help, then who will? That was why I immediately responded,” Ababat said, in Cebuano.

Ababat said she was thankful that her clinical instructors at her university for arming her with the basic emergency procedures, especially wound care, which came helpful in that particular situation.

On Wednesday, Feb. 1, Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) director Col. Ireneo Dalogdog said he wants to award Ababat for her help in saving Zamora.

Dalogdog said he plans to honor Ababat during the CCPO’s flag-raising ceremony on Monday, Feb. 6.

“Isip us aka student iyaha nang na-practice ang iyang pagka-public servant nga in times of trouble, labi nag naa sa himatayon na ang kadtong tao, wala gyud sya magduha-duha sa pagtabang. So, mao na ang atong mga ugali sa mga Pilipino ba nga ato gyud na-appreciate tungod pagkamatinabangon,” Dalogdog said.

(She acted like a good public servant who, in time of trouble, especially when facing someone who was on the verge of death, never thought twice about helping. That’s a Filipino habit that we appreciate because Filipinos are helpful by nature.). (JKV, AYB, PJB)