Witnesses in death of Ateneo student urged to testify

MANILA, Philippines - A police official yesterday encouraged witnesses to come forward if they had different accounts of what happened in the traffic accident at a parking lot at the Ateneo de Manila University that led to the death of a 10-year-old student. “We are asking for any witnesses to come forward. We are waiting for their account in our investigation,” said Superintendent Rudie Valoria, chief of the Traffic Enforcement Unit of the Quezon City Police District.

 “We encourage them (witnesses) to come forward and talk (about) whatever they had seen (during the incident),” Valoria said in an interview. Valoria issued the statement after media reports cited accounts of witnesses in the area stating that suspect Ma. Theresa Torres, who was driving a van, allegedly did not immediately slow down after the vehicle hit and ran over victim Julian Carlo Miguel Alcantara.

According to Valoria, their initial investigation was based on accounts of the suspect and the driver who was picking up Alcantara from school. He initially declared it as “purely an accident.”

The incident happened on Tuesday afternoon when the grade school boy was about to go home and he and his nanny Tata Suarez were accidentally hit by Torres’ Toyota van. Based on initial statements, Valoria earlier said it was possible that Torres stepped on the wrong pedal – the accelerator instead of the brake – when she was “rattled” to see the two victims already in front of her driven vehicle.

According to Valoria, charges of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide, physical injury and damage to property were filed against Torres Wednesday night.

Bail worth P42,000 – P30,000 for homicide and P12,000 for physical injury – were set for Torres’ temporary liberty. As for the damage to property, it has been subjected by the fiscal for further investigation as the owner of the other vehicle that was also hit by Torres’ van has yet to appear, according to the police.

Valoria said Torres’ camp was already processing the documents to post bail for the suspect’s release before noon yesterday.

 “She could be released within this afternoon,” Valoria said early yesterday.