LTFRB says: Truck in Carcar accident has no franchise record

CEBU, Philippines - The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board – 7 disclosed that the truck involved  the road accident in Carcar City Thursday does not have a record of franchise.

“Actually, duha ka violations atong nakit-an … una kay nagdala og sobra nga pasahero. Unya ni-violate siya kay dili man vehicle for hire ang truck.  Ikaduha is ang cargoes sa truck gipanag-iya sa laing pasahero so ma-consider ni siya as ‘colorum’ nga truck kay gibayaran sa pag-transport sa kargamento, pero wala gani na’y franchise,” Acting Transportation Development Officer Reynaldo Elnar told The FREEMAN yesterday.

The Fuso truck with plate number GDV-259 is being operated by one Mario Panulagan.

Elnar said that because it is a private vehicle, the truck should have carried only two passengers. He said it is possible that the vehicle would be impounded and the operator would be fined P6,000 but the decision would have to come from the Land Transportation Office , the agency that has jurisdiction over the matter.

As of  yesterday morning, Dr. Emmanuel F. Gines of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center said five victims have been discharged from the hospital, two are under observation, while one other has been transferred to the Chong Hua Hospital. Nine more patients remain at VSMMC  owing to fractures and other injuries.

He said there is a possibility that the other patients still admitted may be discharged tomorrow, Sunday, or by next week. “Dili naman kaayo grabe ang uban,” he said.

Assistance

Meanwhile, the provincial government said it will shoulder the hospital expenses of the victims. Governor Hilario Davide said the families of those who perished in the accident would also receive burial assistance.

“Oo, tanan i-shoulder sa province. Ako na man pod tong giingnan ang PSWDO, si Evelyn (Senajon),” Davide said.

“Sa medicine, kung available sa ospital way problema kay charged to bill man tanan… Karon lang nag-negotiate ta sa mga botika kung puwede sa ta kautang kay atong i-minimize nga naa tay cash advances,” Senajon said.

She said the P10,000 burial assistance may be claimed from the PSWDO office. Families concerned would need to bring a billing contract and a photocopy of the death certificate. She said her office is also coordinating with the SWDO offices in Argao, Barili or Carcar City in case the families concerned would prefer to claim the assistance there.

In a related development, with the expected influx of passengers this Holy Week, Elnar said LTFRB will be on the lookout for colorum vehicles to maintain safety in the streets.

“Bahala’g daghan ang mga pasahero, dili lang gyod unta ta mo-operate as colorum para malikayan pod ang aksidente, ug pagprotektar sa atong mga pasahero,” he said. — Jean Marvette A. Demecillo, Michael H. Braga, and Grace I. Lacamiento with Keizen Danica S. Arnado and Athena Bea T. Del Carmen, CNU Comm. Interns/JMO (FREEMAN)