Naga highway tragedy: One casualty remains unidentified

CEBU, Philippines - Only one more fatality from the vehicular mishap last Saturday in Naga City remains unidentified.

This as relatives of Marvin Bactismo, 24 years old, married, and a resident of Luknay, San Fernando, claimed his body yesterday morning.

He died in the early morning accident that involved a mini bus from Sibonga town and a ten-wheeler truck in Tuyan, Naga.

Bactismo worked as a truck boy for Taiheyo Cement and was on his way to their company garage in Talisay City when the vehicle he was riding met a accident.

His body was identified by his brother-in-law, Christopher Cabrera, who went to the St. Francis Funeral Homes in Cebu City.

PO2 Miguel Castañares of the Naga police said that the relatives of Marvin heard the news about the vehicular accident happened, but ignored it not knowing that Marvin was in the EDC mini bus.

They only began to worry when he failed to return home last Saturday night prompting them to head to the funeral parlor yesterday to check on the unidentified bodies.

Meanwhile, three passengers of the ill-fated mini bus, are already out of danger, said a reliable source who requested anonymity.

The source identified the three as Jennifer Gregorio, 19 years old, single of Valladolid, Carcar; Maria Fe Rodela, 20, single, also of Valladolid; and Alexander Autida, 33, married, of Pitalo, San Fernando.

They Were Racing

PO2 Castañares added that a brother of Aladin Law-it, the driver of the mini bus, who died in the accident, came to the police station and narrated what he saw before the incident.

The brother of the driver, who said that he also drives for EDC Liner, said he was on a mini bus behind his brother’s vehicle prior to the incident.

He related that his brother was racing with another EDC bus and tried to overtake when the incident happened.

“Ingon ang igsuon ni Law-it nga naglumba-lumba daw kuno ni sila sa ila ra pud kauban nga driver. Pagtan-aw daw niya nga nabangga jud ang iyang igsuon nidritso nalang siya sa iyang pagbyahe,” PO2 Castañares said.

The policeman added that since both drivers involved in the mishap died, the relatives of the victims can still file a complaint against the operator if they are not provided assistance.

So far, no relative of any of the victims has gone to the police station to file charges against the operator. Those who went to the police station only did so to collect the personal belongings of their relatives that were recovered.

The incident happened right in front of the South General Hospital, but due to the severity of the impact, many passengers and the two drivers died on the spot.

The driver of the ten-wheeler truck was identified as Hever Alipio of Pooc, Talisay City.

The other fatalities were identified as Chonie Cavan, Rodrigo Laña, Warren Alesser, brothers Nestor and Alan Omilgo, Claire Jasma, Nora Pacubas Yabo and her 10-year-old daughter Charlene, Virgilia Labiano, and Annabel Alforque.

The body of the victim that has not yet been identified is still at St. Francis Funeral Homes.

No Drug Paraphernalia

SPO4 George Canomon of the Naga police denied reports that drug paraphernalia were recovered from the pockets of the mini bus driver, Law-it.

Early reports had it that rescuers found the stuff in the pocket of the driver, but the police said they did not find anything.

Ana Bariquit, a representative of the EDC Bus Liner, said passengers of all their buses are insured and assured the families of the victims that they can expect financial assistance for their burial and medical needs.

She said the accident was the first major one involving in their 11 years of operation.

Law-it left eight children and a wife, who is five months pregnant with their ninth child.

Notorious Speedsters

Drivers of south-bound mini buses are notorious for overspeeding. The area where the accident happened is a long stretch of wide road.

Bus owner Culaljo, who lives in Naga, said he was able to talk to conductor Alan Omilgo for a few minutes when the bus checked in to remit proceeds from the previous day. He said nothing in his conversation with Omilgo suggested that a great tragedy was about to happen in just a few minutes.

Culaljo said another EDC bus came by just ahead of the ill-fated bus of Law-it but it was not clear if this was the same bus that Law-it would try to overtake minutes later.

Whatever that bus was, it did not stop to check what happened and went on its way.

Culaljo admitted that while he was aware of Law-it’s tendency to go speeding, he still trusted him enough to occasionally ask him to drive for his wife. — Christopher Gabriel Bonjoc/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)