Plane carrying Iranians home set to arrive today

CEBU, Philippines - The chartered Boeing 747 jet that will repatriate the bodies of the 20 Iranians killed in last Sunday’s bus tragedy in Balamban town is set to arrive at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport around 5:25 p.m. today.

It will depart for Iran at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, according to the flight plan provided by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.

Mary Ann Dimabayao, staff of Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority Public Affairs Office, said CAAP recently provided them the flight plan of the plane.

The caskets containing the bodies will be brought to the airport from the Cosmopolitan Funeral Homes in Nivel Hills, Barangay Lahug, Cebu City, when the time arrives.

She said the ambassador and the rest of the Iranian officials who are here in Cebu to take care of their compatriots were unable to coordinate with them so their only way to know about the flight was to link with CAAP.

Meanwhile, the 32 drivers of JD Rent-a-Car were found negative of illegal drugs after they were subjected to a drug test before they were required to attend a few hours of lectures and to take a written exam about proper driving.

Land Transportation Office-7 regional director Raul Aguilos also announced that 26 of the 32 vehicles of the rent-a-car company that were submitted to road worthiness test at the LTO Motor Vehicle Inspection Center, have already passed.

Rose Ardiente, medical technologist of St. John Drug Testing Laboratory, said the urine samples of the 32 drivers of JD Rent-a-Car all tested negative.

“Ang usa sa mga draybers dugay kaayo nga nakaihi pero negative ra man gihapon ang findings,” Ardiente said.

A representative of the rent-a-car company said they will be the ones to shoulder the P9,600 drug test fees for the 32 drivers, at P300 each.

The rent-a-car drivers are hoping that the transportation officials will soon lift the 30-day suspension against the franchise of the vehicles so they can start working again.

The transportation officials earlier decided that vehicles of JD Rent-a-Car should be tested for roadworthiness because of reports that brake failure was the reason for Sunday’s tragedy.

The accident involving the bus owned by JD Rent-a-Car that plunged into a ravine in Cansomoroy, Balamban, led to the death of 20 Iranians and a Filipino, and hurt 20 others.

As of 3 p.m. yesterday the drivers were still taking the written examinations.

LTO lecturer Epitacio Cabrillos Jr. discussed defensive driving techniques and some provisions of Republic Act 4136 or the Transportation and Traffic Code. — Niña G. Sumacot and Rene U. Borromeo/BRP (THE FREEMAN)