AN ELDERLY man allegedly passed away after being bitten by a snake while he was gathering pastures in the mountain barangay of Babayungan in Dalaguete town, southern Cebu, on Tuesday, January 30, 2024.
The victim was identified as Maximo Millan, 64, a farmer.
Rusty Rodrigo of the municipality’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) told SunStar Cebu that Millan left his house around 6 a.m. Tuesday to pasture his goats but he did not return until noon.
According to reports, his carpenter went looking for him and found him dead.
The victim's left leg had two bite marks that were likely caused by a snake.
He also sustained a wound on his right arm, which was believed caused by an ant bite.
"Ingon sa mga silingan basin daw og nanimalos to ang bitin kay dili daw dugay naa man to silay napatay nga bitin murag ilang duda nanimalos ang halas," Rodrigo said on Tuesday, January 30, 2024.
(The neighbors speculated that the reptile might have taken revenge since they had recently killed a snake.)
It was learned that the victim lived alone in his house that is under construction.
Millan was brought to the Argao District Hospital to determine the real cause of his death.
The Argao DRRMO issued a warning to the locals especially those residing in the mountain barangays, to take extra care to avoid a repeat of the incident. (ANV, TPT)