Two Dead,23 Injured As Mini-Bus Falls Into A Ravine

Aug. 31,2010
2 Dead, 23 Injured As Mini-Bus Falls Into A Ravine
By Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.
Maasin City, Southern Leyte-Two passengers were dead and 23 others were injured when a mini-bus loaded with 25 passengers and 4,000 plus kilos of copra fell into a ravine near a curved road in the hinterland barangay of Sta.Cruz,this city, during the recently Tuesday.
The mini-bus with plate no.HAH-975 owned by a well-known businessman Honorato ”Orat” Paloma was driven by Apolonio Mijares Paloma,45 years old ,married. He was a resident of another hinterland barangay of San Agustin and also a Barangay Kagawad.
In an investigation conducted by SP04 Generoso Guerra, Jr., head of the police substation in brgy.San Rafael (Bantig), the driver said that they came from brgy. Libertad.He said that the mini-bus was loaded with 25 passengers from different barangays on the way to Sta.Cruz.
Upon reaching the curved road in brgy.Sta.Cruz, he heard a big impact underneath the vehicle. As he applied a break and tried to maneuver the drivewheel, he said, it stopped functioning. The, mini-bus he said, had just uncontrollably rolled down and fell into a treeless cliff, that could possibly prevent a fatal fall if they were planted and have grown there along the road.
Some passengers however said that the vehicle was overloaded. But the driver reasoned out that the mini-bus has a 7 tons capacity.”Aduna lay 25 ka pasahero ug upat ka libo ka kilo kapin nga kopras, busa dili nato maingon nga overloaded ang maong sakyanan,”he said in Cebuano.(It has only 25 passengers and 4,000 plus kilos of copra, so we cannot say that the mini-bus was overloaded.).
Asked by the police how come he did not suffer serious injuries unlike most of his passengers, he revealed that he held on firmly to the drive wheel as it fell into the cliff, which is about 30 feet deep.
Nevertheless, his left leg was so painful, he said, when it struck somewhere inside as the bus rolled and touched the ground.
Driver Paloma also expressed his apology over the local radio station to the relatives of the victims, saying he felt very sorry for the accident.”Dili nako gusto ang nahitabo’, he said in Cebuano,” apan usahay ang aksidente dili gyud kalikayan”.(I did not like what had happened. But there were times that we cannot avoid an accident.) He has been a driver for ten years.
The driver was detained at San Rafael police substation. A case of reckless imprudence was filed by the police against him.
On the other hand, all victims of the vehicular accident were rushed to the provincial hospital for treatment. Injured passengers were suffering from either bone fractures, heavy and light injuries, swollen legs or arms or head injuries.

-2-
Operator Paloma and his family upon learning of the accident involving their vehicle went to the hospital to provide support and financial assistance to the victims’ medical prescriptions.
As of presstime, those with light and non-serious cases would be discharged from confinement. But those with serious cases would remain in their hospitalization for further treatment and observations.
The two fatalities were identified as: Anita Salapi Meneses, 52 years old, married of brgy. Libertad and Jeffrey Milagrosa Serito, Jr.,28 years old, married of brgy.San Agustin.
Those injured passengers were:1)Sherwin Bawaz,20 years old-brgy.Tagpaayaw;2)Myrna Telen de La Rosa-Tagpaayaw;3)Lawrencia Cordillo Palima,68 years old-brgy.Tagpaayaw;4)Jenith Bautista Ponce,32 years old,married-brgy.Hinapo Daku;5)Melgar Dalino Telen,15,single-Hinapo Daku;6)Nixon Malasaga Zarra,19 years old,single-Hinapo Daku;7)Emiliana Malasaga Zarra,49,married-Hinapo Daku;8)Boy Malasaga Zarra,12 year sold-Hinapo Daku;9)Luz Palen Zarra,46 years old-Hinapo Daku;10)Genefacio Bugnos Isaga,45 years old,married-Libertad;11)Tessie Lagroverio Isaga,58 years old,married-Libertad;12)Aniceta Guindulman,52 years old,marred-Libertad;13)Elna Adobas Telen,28 years old,married-San Agustin;14)Paterno Ayento Duron,45 years old, married-San Agustin;15)Necipora Dueñas,61 years old, married-San Agustin;16)Jessie Ayento Kaibigan,18 years old-San Agustin;17)Marites Layola Alvarez,33 years ,married-San Agustin;18)Nicole Dueñas,2 years old-San Agustin;19)Rodolfo Telen Nabuya,25 years old,sngle-Asuncion;20)Annabelle Zarra Salbajan,27 years solkd,married-Molopolo,Macrohon;21)Charles Zarra Salbajan,2 years old-Molopolo,Mcrohon;22)Zaralina Palima Sabong,51 years old,married-Jiajong,Western Samar;23)Adelina Laraga,47 years old-Pinaskohan. (Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)