By Shayne Elizabeth T. Flores and Julliane Nicole B. Labinghisa

Two months after Far Eastern University (FEU) International Studies graduating student Cyrus Reginald Rosales passed after a motorcycle accident, his memory remains a poignant remnant of love and loss, with his family and friends still seeking justice and accountability. 

Per Taal Municipal Police Station’s report, on January 28 at around 8:10 p.m., a pick-up car was traversing the national road of Barangay Latag, Taal, Batangas when it made a U-Turn and hit 25-year old Cyrus’ motorcycle driving the same direction to Lemery, Batangas.

He was then brought to the Batangas Provincial Hospital, but was declared dead on arrival due to severe traumatic brain injury.

The victim's body was found in a crouching position, with sustained broken arms, an open chest wound, and a nonsurgically amputated leg.

Meanwhile, after being found in a state of shock due to the incident, the suspect was taken to Taal Polymedic Hospital and Medical Center.

He was later detained by the Taal Police, but was released on the fourth day, January 31, upon paying a bail of P30,000, according to the Investigator on Case PSSg Felix DR Cantero. 

Moreover, PSSg Cantero stated that the bail was originally P60,000 but was then reduced to P30,000.

Cantero also said that the current status of the case is under arraignment. 

Memories of Cyrus

In an interview with FEU Advocate, Cyrus’ mother Helen Rosales shared the events leading up to the accident.

Helen narrated that her son only went back home from Manila to Lemery, Batangas to personally see and test drive their newly bought motorcycle—his dream vehicle.

While riding the motorcycle that he long dreamt of, Cyrus met his demise on the way home.

According to Helen, her son was known as a positive, loving, and kind individual who brightens up the day of the people around him. 

“Bilang indibidwal, kilala si Cyrus na taong mataas ang pangarap sa buhay na [ang] tanging hangad lang niya ay maging proud sa kaniya ang mga mahal niya sa buhay. Mahal rin ng mga tao si Cyrus dahil napakamatulungin at magalang ito sa lahat,” she shared. 

Supposedly slated for graduation this year, Cyrus planned to attend law school to further push his dream of being a lawyer,  FEU graduate and Cyrus’s close friend Larra Villanueva shared in a separate online interview.

“He’s determined to attend Law School upon graduation this year, driven not just by the desire to succeed, but by the burning need to prove to himself and everyone else that he can. There’s always this spark in his eyes, a hope that refuses to fade, no matter the obstacles in his way,” Villanueva asserted.  

In hopes of echoing the news about Cyrus’s passing, Villanueva shared the incident with the Tamaraw community via a post in the Facebook Group One Piyu Community last March 4.

“I shared that post from Cyru mom in the One Piyu Community, hoping that those who knew him, those of us who shared memories with him at FEU, could come together,” she said in a separate online interview.

The two met in their third year of college and have been friends since then. Villanueva described Cyrus as someone who became her unbiological family. He was a steady presence who was always there for his friends to count on, something she can attest to.

“He wasn’t just a friend; he was family. A brother in every sense of the word, someone who made everything feel just a little more connected and a lot more real. Through all the highs and lows, Cyrus was the one who always showed up, and for that, I’ll forever be grateful,” she noted.

According to Villanueva, Cyrus was a social butterfly, naturally sweeping people into conversations through his friendly and magnetic energy.

Despite his time being cut short, his impact on the people around him still lives on as Villanueva emphasized how he made the space he occupied more meaningful, may it be on laughing over the silliest things or having deep conversations.

Moreover, she expressed high regard for her friend’s warmth and purity that lay beyond his tough exterior.

“To know him is to know a person who is untainted by the world’s harshness, someone whose kindness knows no bounds. He may appear intimidating at first glance, but beneath that tough exterior lies a softness that few get to see, a vulnerability that’s hidden from the world. In a world that often feels cold and distant, Cyrus is the warmth we all crave,” Villanueva shared.

Though she cannot help but mull over the ‘could-have-beens’ of her friend’s life, much more the fulfillment of his dreams, Villanueva honored the friendship Cyrus generously offered as a significant mark of his existence.

“Sometimes, though, I can’t help but wonder—maybe, in another life, in some other version of the universe, Cyrus could have had it all… But even here, in this life, Cyrus has already achieved something incredible: he’s left an imprint on every person who has had the privilege of knowing him. And that, in itself, is a testament to the beautiful soul he is,” she emphasized.

Still grieving his loss, Cyrus’ family expressed desire for further investigation into the incident, citing the need for justice.

“Justice for Cyrus humihingi po kami ng tulong sa nasa taas, sana po tulungan nyo ang kaso ni Cyrus Reginald Rosales,” Helen said.

Helen asks for prayers for her deceased son, who dreamt of making his family proud. 

(Photo courtesy of Helen Louie Rosales Facebook account)