AJ Perez death: Bus driver faces multiple raps

CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga ,Philippines  – Police filed charges of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide and multiple physical injuries yesterday against the driver of a Partas passenger bus which figured in a collision after midnight Sunday with a van in Tarlac, killing 18-year-old ABS-CBN actor AJ Perez and injuring five others.

Charged before the municipal trial court of Moncada was Julie Brillantes, 44, driver of Partas passenger bus with license plate UVA-880.

Senior Superintendent Alfredo Corpus, Tarlac police provincial director said Brillantes has also filed a counter suit against Christopher Bautista, 44, of Manggahan, Quezon City, driver of the Nissan Urvan (PIG-630), which was carrying Perez and his companions. The van is registered under ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp.

Reports said that at 12:10 a.m. Bautista tried to overtake another ABS-CBN van along MacArthur Highway but failed to notice the incoming Partas bus.

Corpuz said the van careened out of control after the impact and hit the other van and a parked 10-wheeler truck. Floren Agradi of Laoag City was the driver of the truck with license plate AEM-153.

AJ Perez or Antonio Joseph Perez was declared dead on arrival at Rayos Hospital in Paniqui, Tarlac due to multiple injuries.

Injured were the van’s driver Bautista, AJ’s father Gerardo, 46, of Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City; Cristina Ferrer, 25, of La Paz, Makati City; Edwin Embas, 28, of Bukid Malinta, Valenzuela City; Danylyn Alcoriza, 31, of Dalas-alas Subdivision, Pasay City.

Police said the group of ABS-CBN was on its way to Manila from Dagupan City in Pangasinan after a show when the accident occurred.