DEPW official figures in road accident

CEBU, Philippines - An official of the Department of Engineering and Public Works figured in an accident early dawn yesterday while driving one of the office’s vehicles.

Engineer Joel Reston, Chief of the Planning Division of DEPW was reportedly on his way to his house in the Nivel Hills area around 1 a.m., when the L-300 government vehicle that he was driving collided with an Isuzu Forward truck.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said that the incident will be investigated since it involves a government vehicle that was used early in the morning.

But Rama said there should be no “judgment calls” made yet.

Acting Assistant City Engineer June Nadine Sison, confirmed to The FREEMAN that the use of the vehicle was authorized by the office.

Sison explained that there are times when their employees need to work 24 hours especially on road and drainage projects.

She also said this is done to avoid traffic in the morning.

But Sison said that she cannot determine yet which road project Reston was attending to since the Chief of the Planning division is tasked to man a lot of projects.

She added that she already talked to Reston and he is doing fine. Only the front left side of the vehicle was damaged during the accident.

Sison said any investigation, if deemed necessary, will be handled by the Human Resource Department, which would also provide possible sanctions.

However, the traffic report showed that the truck that hit the government vehicle was at fault.

SPO1 Porferio Lim Jr., the responding officer was on a day-off yesterday morning when The FREEMAN called the investigation department of the City Traffic Operations Management. But SPO1 Anthony Delijero said that according to the investigation of Lim written in his book, it said that the truck that hit the DEPW vehicle.

Delijero also said that the report did not indicate that any of the drivers where intoxicated during the collision. — (FREEMAN)