he police is investigating the road mishap that killed seven people and injured nine others in Lubao town in this province Sunday afternoon.
In a regional television interview on Monday, Lubao police chief, Lt. Colonel Julius Javier, said they are looking into the cause of the fatal incident where the minibus rammed into a tricycle, a “kolong-kolong” (motorcycle with sidecar), a passenger waiting shed, and an electric post in Barangay San Isidro.
In a police report, six of the fatalities have been identified as Jun Valencia, 35, driver of the tricycle; May Anne Mendoza, 25; Julian Mcklain Mendoza, a one-year-old child; Justin Castro, 22; Trisha Gogolin, 22; and Armando De Guzman, 51, the bus conductor.
Seven of those injured are confined at the Jose B. Lingad Memorial Regional Hospital in this city, while the two others at the Escolastica Romero District Hospital in Lubao town.
“Ongoing pa rin ang investigation base sa mga statements ng mga witnesses and maging sa mga survivor. Ayon sa ating mga witnesses, ang narinig nila ay malakas na tunog. Nakita nila yung bus na tuloy-tuloy na bumangga sa waiting shed at sa electric post (Our investigation is still ongoing based on the statements of the witnesses and the survivors. According to the witnesses, they heard loud sound. They saw the bus rammed the waiting shed and then the electric post),” he said.
Javier said he has yet to talk to the bus driver who remained confined at a hospital after undergoing an operation at the Jose B. Lingad Regional Hospital here.
The minibus driver, he added, will be charged with reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicides, multiple injuries, and damage to properties.
Javier said the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has suspended the operation of the bus company to conduct an inspection for the roadworthiness of its buses.
Based on the investigation, Javier said the Oster Liner bus driven by Orlando Bangit, 68, came from Bataan and was traversing Jose Abad Santos Avenue here when it bumped the tricycle causing it to swerve on the roadside.
He said the bus driver and the passengers were thrown out of the bus.
Javier added the minibus continued speeding, bumped a tricycle, smashed through a passenger waiting shed, and stopped only after it rammed into an electric post near a gasoline station.
Source: Philippines News Agency