TACLOBAN CITY- It was a very tragic Friday (May 17) as separate vehicular accidents resulted to the death of nine passengers and the injury of 20 others.
The first accident took place at about 6:15 in the morning along sitio Tab-ang of Barangay District III in Babatngon Leyte when a passenger van loaded with 21 passengers collided with a six-wheeler truck loaded with hogs.
The said incident resulted to the immediate death of the eight passengers identified as Evelyn Hodder,49; Emily Elorde,46; Marilyn Saringan,46; Alden Camuen23, and his sister Remelyn,21; Jackson Casarigo,24; Rogelio Piscos,57; and Laila Cobilla,54.
Bryan Bechachino,18, later died while being treated at the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center(EVRMC).
Injured during this incident were Fritz Asis,28; Roel Iglesias,36; Ethel Erine,28; Helen Cañas,40; Renz Ezekiel Cajepe,4; Abundio Cajepe,27; Thelma Aguilar,42; Regine Abucay; Remegio Dalut; Robert Milado; Armando Solayao; and Rodel Ecat, the driver of the passenger vehicle.
Majority of the passengers were from Brgy. Tatabunan, Talalora, Samar, and Babatngon town.
Reports reaching the regional headquarters of the Philippine National Police said that the passenger van, with plate number 084403 and bound for Tacloban City, appeared to be running fast and while maneuvering at the site incident directly hit the six-wheeler truck which has four passengers and 10 hogs and driven by Erwin de Leon, a resident of Brgy. Carmen, North Cotabato.
The six-wheeler was to deliver the swine to the public market in Babatngon.
And on the same day, at about 10 pm similar accident happened along Brgy.San Isidro, Biliran town in Biliran province.
It was learned that a passenger van, with plate number HVT 959 fell on the side of the road after its driver, Windelle Bacho,36 and a resident of Brgy. Lib-og, Maasin City, fell asleep.
Injured were Jose Sidanga,50 and his common-law wife Josephine,42 and their two children Jared,5, and Jade Danille,13; Conchita Vilato,51; Edward Vilato,54; and Regan Mercader,31 and a village councilor of Iyusan, Almeria, also in Biliran.(JOEY A. GABIETA/
RONALD O. REYES))
