Stranded mother dies after waiting 5 days for bus

Michelle Silvertino, a 33-year-old mother of four from Antipolo, died in Pasay City after waiting for five days for a bus to her hometown in Calabanga, Camarines Sur.

She was stranded in Pasay after her employers dropped her off on May 31, hoping she could catch a bus home, but inter-city and provincial bus operations had not yet resumed.

On June 5, police found Silvertino at a footbridge with a high fever and difficulty breathing, and she was rushed to the hospital where she was declared dead on arrival.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte expressed his sorrow over Silvertino's death and vowed to prevent similar incidents.

The local government of Calabanga has extended P5,000 in initial cash assistance to Silvertino's family, with plans for long-term support for her children's education and needs.

Her children, aged 3 to 11, will now be under the custody of their uncle, Mario Silvertino, as their father had long abandoned them.