9 hurt as bus rams van on NLEX

MANILA, Philippines - At least nine passengers of a van were injured when it was hit by a speeding passenger bus along North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) in Caloocan City before dawn yesterday.

Police Officer 2 Rodelio Asuncion of the Caloocan City police traffic unit said three of the victims – van driver Emlano Quilingin, 43, Ma. Victoria Quilingin, 45, and 10-year-old Ma. Agatha Quilingin – were in critical condition at the Manila Central University Hospital.

“The six other victims were also hurt but did not suffer serious injuries. They are all relatives,” Asuncion told The STAR.

Asuncion said the Toyota FX van, en route to Monumento in Caloocan City, developed mechanical trouble along NLEX’s Kilometer 10 in Barangay 161, Caloocan City at around 4 a.m.

While the driver was trying to fix the vehicle by the roadside, a speeding Dagupan Bus (UVT-569) driven by Dante Bautista, 49, rear-ended the van.

The windshield of the bus was shattered due to the impact but none of its passengers were injured, Asuncion said.

Asuncion said the bus driver fled but his conductor Rustico Caringal was mauled by an angry mob.