3 dead, 2 others hurt in road accidents

CEBU, Philippines – A three-year-old boy and a retired policeman who once served as chief of police in Pinamungajan town were killed after two motorcycles slammed into each other in Barangay Po-blacion, Pinamungajan, yesterday noon, while another man died while two others were seriously injured in two separate vehicular accidents in the towns of Catmon and Santander last Saturday.

The victims in Pinamungajan were identified as Insp. Benny Teleron Birao, 61, a resident of Barangay Tajao, Pinamungajan, and Clifford Batitay, of Barangay Poblacion.

SPO1 Uldarico Nengasca of Pinamungajan Police said Birao was driving a Honda Aura heading home from a relative's wake in Aloguinsan town when he collided head-on with the Yamaha STX driven by George Batitay, who was with his son Clifford sitting on the gas tank.

Nengasca said Batitay, who was reportedly drunk, was heading to Toledo City to attend the anniversary of an organization he is affiliated with.

At the point of impact Both Birao and Clifford were thrown several meters away. While George only suffered a wound to the jaw and the scalp, Negasca said both of Birao's legs were broken while Clifford suffered a cut on his eye brow. Both also suffered serious head injuries after slamming into the pavement.

The three were taken by responding policemen to the Pinamungajan District Hospital where Birao and Clifford were declared dead on arrival.

Birao once served as an office-in-charge of Pinamungajan Police Station in 2005.

Batitay was submitted to a liquor test and found to be intoxicated. He was arrested and now detained after being treated for his wounds. The motorcycles, which were both heav-ily damaged, are now in police custody.

In Catmon town last Saturday, one man was killed while another was hurt after the motorcycle they were riding was hit by a bus in Barangay Panalipan, last Saturday evening.

The fatality was Dionisio Guiwanon, 21, of the said barangay while the driver of the motorcycle who was severely injured, was identified as Rodel Cabilan, 19, of Barangay Basak.

Investigators said that the two were on board a black Honda TMX motorcycle without license plate numbers and were heading towards north when they when they were hit by a bus as they made a left turn.

The said bus was a Cebu Autobus with license plate numbers NBR-654 driven by Joseph Rabadon, 37, of Barangay Anapog, San Remigio town.

Police said that the motorcycle used by the victims also did not have signal or brake lights that could have signaled the driver of the bus.

Rabadon told the police that he was uncertain as to what direction the motorcycle was heading. He said that he did not know that the motorcycle will turn left as there was no sig-nal light indicating their change of direction.

Police further revealed that the two riders of motorcycle, both students in Carmen town, were not wearing helmets.

The two were immediately brought to the Juan Dosado Memorial Hospital in Sogod but Guiwanon died along their way. Cabilan was later transferred to the Vicente Sotto Memo-rial Medical Center in Cebu City.

Rabadon surrendered to the Catmon Police Station. He is set to face charges of reckless imprudence resulting to homicide. 

The management of the said bus line has not issued any statement.

Earlier that day in the town of Santander, a 15-year-old boy was accidentally hit by another bus in Barangay Talisay around noon.

Danny Boy Iligan was hit by a Ceres Bus with plate number GWK-630 driven by Nilo Tapao Camos, 41, of Barangay Mantalongon, Barili town.

Investigation revealed that while the said bus traveling a descending curved road, the boy suddenly appeared.

Camos tried to stop his bus to no avail and hit Illigan. Camos himself brought the boy to the Oslob District Hospital after which he surrendered to the Santander Police Station. The child was later on transferred to VSMMC.

The said bus left the South Bus terminal at around 8:20 a.m. bound for Bato, Oslob town. Camos told The FREEMAN in a phone interview that he did not immediately notice the child who ran across the coming from a store. He said that he tried to stop the bus but it was too late.

PO1 Anthony Aba of Santander Police said that the management of Ceres already contacted them and promised financial assistance to the family of the victim. -/BRP (FREEMAN)