Civil raps filed vs bus firm

MANILA, Philippines - Don Mariano Transit Corp., the owner of the bus that fell off the Skyway in Parañaque that left 18 people dead and more than a dozen injured, faces more charges, the police Highway Patrol Group (HPG) said yesterday.

Relatives of six victims of the deadly accident have filed separate civil cases against the bus company with the Parañaque prosecutor’s office.

Police Officer 2 Gerry Formales said four cases were lodged by the relatives of Jean Angelique Cadiz, Archie Dino, Richard Gaveria and Mary Ann Superio, who all died in the accident.

Two other cases were filed by the injured bus passengers, Formales said.

The HPG on Tuesday filed charges of multiple homicide, multiple injuries and damage to property against bus driver Carmelo Calatcat.

The driver’s license of Calatcat may be revoked following the Skyway accident, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) spokesman Jason Salvador said.

Salvador said they would summon Calatcat, who remains in the intensive care unit of the Parañaque Doctors’ Hospital.

“If warranted, the LTO (Land Transportation Office) could revoke his license,” he said.

Salvador said the number of deaths in the accident is an “aggravating circumstance” in the case.

He added the agency would issue a circular requiring the annual seminar of drivers of public utility vehicles.

At present, drivers are only required to undergo seminars once every three years when they renew their license.

           2 bodies unclaimed

Only two of the 18 fatalities in the Skyway bus crash have remained unidentified and unclaimed at the Veronica Funeral Homes in Pasay City.

Lenie Domingo, an employee of the funeral parlor, told The STAR that the two unclaimed remains are that of a man and a woman.

Domingo said seven other victims initially brought to Funeraria Amigo in Taguig and later transferred to their place have been claimed by their families. They were Arnold Jimenos, Roberto Bautista, Alvin Balurin, Ricardo Gonzales Jr., Reycel Constantino, William Toledo and Mar Edriane.

Nel Javier, secretary at Funeraria Amigo, said the eight remains left in their care have been claimed.

The HPG said another fatality, Rolly Bores, has been claimed by his relatives at the Parañaque Medical Center where he was taken after the accident.

No labor compliance certificate

Don Mariano Transit was allowed to operate this year despite not having a labor standards compliance certificate (LSCC) in violation of a circular issued by the LTFRB in 2012.

LTFRB chairman Winston Ginez said yesterday the Department of Labor and Employment has not issued LSCC to the bus company.

“For this year, Don Mariano was not issued LSCC. That can be a ground for revocation of franchise,” Ginez said.

He said the alleged failure of the bus company to provide fixed salaries to its drivers could be a ground for cancellation of its franchise.

Jason Cantil, lawyer for the bus firm, said he was not privy to the salaries given to its drivers.

The LTFRB had earlier imposed a 30-day preventive suspension for all 78 buses of Don Mariano Transit following the deadly accident. A hearing on the case has been set on Jan. 7.

Thirty-six of the 42 buses of Don Mariano Transit inspected so far by authorities failed the road safety tests, Ginez said.

He said the buses have worn-out tires, broken signal lights, defective brake and non-functioning wipers.

Cantil said the company is in the process of correcting these violations.

He said their immediate concern is to help the families of the victims.

Cantil said they have posted personnel at the hospitals and funeral homes to assist the victims’ relatives.

He added they are ready to face the civil complaint filed against the bus company.

The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) is looking into the proposal of Malacañang to impose a one-strike policy against public utility vehicles.

Ginez said that Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya has asked the LTFRB to study the proposal.

Don Mariano owners operate 4 other bus firms

Major shareholders of Don Mariano Transit are behind at least four more bus companies operating locally.

Based on documents from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Lim family owns Don Mariano Transit, Fermina Express, Mencorp, Commuters, Nova Auto Transport and Roval Transport.

The 2013 general information sheet (GIS) of the five bus operators showed that Melissa Lim acted as the companies’ president and chairman, with Carmelo Lagura as corporate secretary.

Other members of the board of directors of the bus companies are Dalmacio Lim Jr., Anita Lim, Marcy Lim, Christopher Lim, Alexander Lim and Maria Cleofe Natividad.

Nova Auto Transport, reportedly owned by the Lim family, last filed its GIS to the SEC in 2002.

The LTFRB earlier vowed to investigate violations of other companies of the Lim family.

Meanwhile, Nova Auto Transport’s unit figured in the road crash that killed journalist Lourdes “Chit” Simbulan in 2011, the LTFRB said.

Daniel Espinosa, who was driving a unit of Universal Guiding Star, was earlier tagged in Simbulan’s death after the bus collided with the cab carrying the journalist along Commonwealth Avenue.

When Espinosa was turned over to the Quezon City Police District, his lawyer Salvador Panelo claimed that a unit of Nova Auto Transport had first hit Simbulan’s cab.

Panelo said two other buses, allegedly from Nova Auto Transport, were racing against each other when one of them hit the taxicab.

Victor Ancheta, driver of the Nova Auto Transport bus, had denied the charges.

Espinosa, taxi driver Vito Jagunos and Ancheta were slapped with charges of homicide, damage to property, abandonment of one’s victim and hit and run.

Another bus mishap

A Fairview-bound bus of Mafel Trans lost its one of its tires while traveling along Quezon Avenue yesterday morning.

Luckily, none of the passengers of the bus with license plate UVA-512 was injured in the incident, said Chief Inspector Enrico Figueroa.

Driver Cresencio de Villa told police he was heading towards EDSA when the left rear tire spun off.

Figueroa said the detached tire hit an Isuzu Altera on the opposite lane as well as a passenger jeepney. – With Reinir Padua, Neil Jerome Morales, Lawrence Agcaoili