8 dead, 25 hurt in road mishaps in 3 provinces

MANILA, Philippines - Eight people were killed and 25 others sustained injuries in road accidents in Sorsogon, Isabela and Zamboanga Sibugay in the past three days, authorities said.

In Sorsogon, a sport utility vehicle collided with a passenger bus along the national highway in Barangay Bacolod, Juban town before dawn yesterday, leaving six people dead and five others injured.

Police identified the fatalities as Fortune bus driver Danilo Montefalcon, SUV driver Rosalito Malig, Alfredo Manansala, Jaime Malabanan, Levy Erasga, and Vicente Clarito.

Police said the SUV, carrying Born-Again Christians who just conducted a humanitarian mission in typhoon-ravaged Tacloban City, was en route to Metro Manila when it collided with the bus, which had 60 passengers.

In Cabatuan, Isabela, two persons were killed and four others were hurt when their Cagayan-bound bus rammed a concrete waiting shed yesterday morning.

Reports said the Ballesteros bus tried to avoid a motorcycle but instead slammed into the waiting shed, killing conductor Ralph Quisimodo and a female passenger, who was still unidentified.

Injured were bus driver Honesto Tagumasi, passengers Rommel Ison and Ma. Alicia Collado, and motorcycle rider Mauro Tagavilla.  

In Zamboanga Sibugay, a passenger van was descending the highway in Imalda town when it lost its brakes, sending it swerving to its side and crashing into a concrete ditch last Friday, leaving  its driver and 15 passengers, including five minors, injured. – Celso Amo, Raymund Catindig, Roel Pareño