Six cops, companion dead, 20 hurt in Misamis Oriental road accident

COTABATO CITY, Philippines (Updated 5:52 p.m.) — Six policemen and a retired police sergeant died while 20 others were hurt in a multiple vehicular accident in Naawan, Misamis Oriental at past 9:00 a.m. Saturday.

In a statement, the Naawan Municipal Police Station identified the fatalities as Police Staff Sergeants Michael Ermac, Reuyan Marjun, Jevilou Cañeda, Eugene Lagcao, Aaron Ticar, Arnill Manoop and retired policeman Anito Abapo.

The victims were in two Toyota vans that got hit by a wayward 10-wheeler truck whose driver lost control of the steering wheel due to a mechanical trouble while maneuvering through a stretch of the Cagayan de Oro-Iligan Highway in Purok 11 in Barangay Poblacion, Naawan.

Responding police investigators said the Toyota vans carrying the policemen from different units of the Police Regional Office-11, en route to somewhere for a weekend outing, were overtaking the truck that swept the sides of both vehicles as it wiggled with force after one of its front tires exploded.

The truck flipped and landed on its side after colliding with the two vans.

Cpl. Joel Lustre, accident scene investigator, and Capt. Gieve Manale of the Misamis Oriental Provincial Police Office, told reporters 19 other police personnel and truck driver Benjamin Mudabpel were badly injured in the road mishap.

The victims are now confined in different hospitals.