3 motorcycle riders die in collision with truck

HAMTIC, ANTIQUE, Philippines  — Three persons died after the motorcycle they were riding collided head on with truck Wednesday evening along the national highway at Brgy. La Paz in this town.

The fatalities were identified as Juvy Cuayson, 25, of Brgy. Catmon, Sibalom, Antique; Vincent Leonel Abarientos, 25, of Brgy. Pis-anan, Sibalom; and Michael Benjamin, 24, of Brgy. Gov. EBJ, Hamtic, Antique.

All three were casual employees of the Department of Public Works and Highway. They, with fellow casual employee, Peejay Fernando Dolendo III, earlier played basketball after work and later drank a bottle of beer before going home.

The three victims were on one motorcycle while Dolendo, of San Jose, Antique, followed them on his own motorcycle.

Inspector Christopher Rodriguez, chief of the Hamtic Police Station, said the victims overtook a Vios car, driven by Ernesto Solinap, Jr., a sales agent from Jaro, Iloilo City, but they collided head on with a truck, laden with construction materials, running in opposite direction.

As Solinap came to an abrupt stop, the motorcycle driven by Dolendo also hit the car's rear bumper.

Cuayson, Abarientos, and Benjamin were immediately rushed to Evelio Salazar General Memorial Hospital in San Jose, Antique, but all were declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.

Dolendo and truck driver Mark Serdenia, 26, of Brgy. Apdo, Hamtic, were also brought to the hospital for minor injuries.

After the incident, Solinap voluntarily surrendered to police authorities. — Jennifer P. Rendon (FREEMAN)