1 dead, 20 others hurt in Danao road accident

A man was killed while more than twenty others were injured after a passenger jeepney lost control and swerved, hitting a motorcycle and a bicycle coming from the opposite direction in Danao City.

The accident happened yesterday past 5 a.m. along the National Highway in sitio Guiwanon, barangay Poblacion, Compostela town.

SPO1 Silas Seballo of the Compostela PNP traffic group said the fatality was Joseph Batican of Danao City while his companion Carina Quiros, was brought to a private hospital in Cebu City after being hurt.

The man on the bike identified as Edgardo Barrole was also injured.

Police said before the accident happened jeepney driver Nilo Matugas was heading for city proper when his front left wheel exploded and he lost control of his jeepney.  It swerved into the other lane and hit the motorcycle and the bicycle before resting upside-down on the road.

Matugas was also injured, along with several of his passengers, mostly women workers of a factory in Danao City.

Other injured passengers were identified as Jerame Nalasa, 19; Rita Fe Baladjay, 18; Glory Panal, 18; Catherine Cantiado, 22; Terene Lungayan, 22; Merlinda Ruiz, 19; Monet Ramos, 21; Marilyn Matugas; Anecito Andrade, 21; Bernadeth Pariola, 21; Christie Añora, 23; Victoria Labrador, 35 and Eleuterio Gonzales, 31,

Other passengers who were also injured were identified as Maricel Cabaluna, Ryan Martel, Leodisa Dungog, Melanie Semblante, Joana Peñaflor and Ronel Brigole. 

All injured were brought to either the Danao District Hospital or Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center for treatment.

Meanwhile, a 35-year-old man was stabbed to death by his elder brother during a fiesta in barangay Calape, Daanbantayan town, last Saturday in the afternoon out of revenge.

PO3 Dennis Velez of Daanbantayan police station in a telephone interview with The FREEMAN said the fatality was identified as Arnaldo Dapat, who was stabbed in the back by his own brother Andres, 48.

The two once lived together in sitio Fatima, barangay Bagay, of the said town but after a violent fight last February the suspect reportedly vowed to take revenge then left, police said.

Last Saturday, police said, the victim was watching a cockfight held at the said barangay as part of the fiesta celebration when the suspect noticed the victim in the crowd and stabbed him several times in the back with a 10-inch knife.

The victim never made it alive to the hospital while responding policemen led by SPO2 Carlo Condino timely arrested the suspect and recovered the weapon.

A case of parricide is set to be filed against the suspect tomorrow before the provincial prosecutors office.  — Edwin Ian Melecio/BRP