AS TYPHOON Tino lashed through parts of Cebu with relentless rain and fierce winds, one family in Garden Bloom Acres in Pitogo, Consolacion, Cebu, endured not just the storm’s fury, but a night of unimaginable hardship.
The storm’s devastation was compounded by a heartbreaking loss and a painful wait that revealed more than just the power of nature, but the frailty of local systems meant to protect and serve.
For Charles Hunter, surviving the tempest came at a heartbreaking cost, a personal tragedy that struck quietly in the early hours of Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, when he lost his father.
Hunter told SunStar Cebu that his 78-year-old father, diagnosed with late-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in 2022, passed away amid the onslaught of typhoon Tino.
In a viral Facebook post with over 7,000 reactions and 4,000 shares, Hunter recounted how he and his family were forced to leave his father’s body behind as floodwaters rapidly approached their home.
The family of five desperately sought help from their barangay and pre-need funeral provider to cremate their father’s body, only to face a delay due to flooded and impassable roads.
Funeral parlor personnel were only able to retrieve his father’s remains 22 hours after he passed away at 2 a.m. on Tuesday, when roads were initially cleared.
“Can you imagine how (traumatizing) it is to see your dad die in the middle of a storm, having no choice but to wait out the storm and now his body can’t be picked up because of the flood from the storm?” said Hunter.
“This is really traumatizing, honestly. My family and I have not had an opportunity to properly grieve,” he added.
The grieving son called out for accountability amid deep personal loss, highlighting his frustrations over the widespread flooding in Cebu.
He described the situation as a case of “bad flood management,” pointing to the widespread inundation affecting nearby towns such as Liloan and Consolacion, as well as the cities of Mandaue, Talisay and Cebu.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) earlier launched an investigation into alleged ghost projects across the country, where over 400 of the supposed infrastructure works have been found non‑existent or poorly implemented.
DPWH has said it will blacklist contractors found responsible for ghost or substandard projects, and will submit its findings to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure for possible prosecution.
Yet, 104 days into the probe and after over 100 lives were claimed by typhoon Tino in Cebu, no one has been held accountable or is behind bars.