Two men dead in road accidents

CEBU, Philippines - Two men, one engaged to be married and the other a barangay captain, were killed in separate vehicular accidents in the towns of Catmon and Dalaguete last Monday.

In Catmon town, an engaged couple met an accident while traversing the national highway in Barangay Catmondaan that led to the immediate death of Jeffrey Angel Gerebese, 25, a resident of Barangay Umapad, Mandaue City.

His fiancée, Cherilou Berdijo, 21, living in Barangay Opao, Mandaue City, who was riding pillion, only sustained minor injuries. She was taken to the Rural Health Center for first aid treatment.

Detained at the Catmon stockade was Laluna Angeles Estomago, 37, of Barangay Cambuang, Dumanjug town, and driver of the Mitsubishi Fuso truck owned by Mandaue Foam with license plate numbers YHL-503.

Catmon Police Station traffic investigator SPO4 Asisclo Boto said the couple was on board a Honda motorcycle driven by Gerebese heading towards Tabuelan town where Berdijo comes from.

Both were supposed to process the necessary papers needed for their marriage.

Upon reaching a curved portion of the road it was Gerebese who crossed over into the opposite lane, failing to notice the incoming truck. The collision threw them both to the pavement but only Gerebese was run over by the truck.

 Boto said both parties were planning to amicably settle the matter.

Meanwhile, in Dalaguete town, Antonio Vergaño, 61, barangay captain of Barangay Tapon, died in front of his house after he was hit by a speeding Nissan March with license plate number KEG-285 around 7 p.m.

SPO1 Veronico Santino, of the Dalaguete Police Station, said Vergaño just disembarked from the Ceres he rode from Cebu City and was about to cross the road when he was hit by the car driven by Rodnel Ponce, 25, of Barangay Candabong, Argao town.

Vergaño was thrown a few meters away and suffered major injuries in different parts of his body. 

He was rushed by his family to the Ildefonso Alcantara Memorial Hospital and was later transferred to a hospital in Cebu City. He died Monday midnight.

Ponce is now detained at the Dalaguete stockade while charges for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide are being prepared against him.

Vergaño was a former municipal councilor and served for three straight terms before he was elected as a barangay captain in the 2010 barangay elections. –(FREEMAN)