Motorbikes ram trucks; 9 dead

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines – Six persons died when a trailer truck loaded with steel sheet piles collided with a motorcycle along the highway in Albay on Sunday.

Chief Inspector Art Gomez, provincial police spokesman, identified the fatalities as truck driver Orlando Campo, 49; his helpers Rommel Nantes, 27, and James Romero; motorcycle driver Albert Baroga; his wife Jasmine,  36, and Clark Camiro, 6.

Jason Bonganay, 28, his brother Jeffrey, 32, and uncle Daniel, 57, were confined at the Ziga Memorial Hospital.

The accident occurred as Campo was driving down the road in Barangay Quinastillojan in Tabaco City at around 3 p.m.

Meanwhile, in Negros Occidental, three persons died when their motorcycle rammed a truck parked along the highway in Barangay Taloc in Bago City yesterday.

Diony Benguelo, John Inia and Gerald Inia died at the scene.

The driver of the truck, Jessie Arguillon, is being held at the Bago City police station. He told police his truck had an early warning device and the hazard lights were on when the accident occurred.

Investigations into the mishaps are ongoing. – Cet Dematera, Francis Elevado, Celso Amo, Gilbert Bayoran