License of driver in fatal road mishap suspended

MANILA, Philippines — The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has suspended the license of a truck driver involved in a vehicular accident in Pampanga that killed four children on Thursday night.

LTO chief Vigor Mendoza II yesterday said the 90-day preventive suspension of the driver, Rodrigo Palma Jr. of Himamaylan, Negros Occidental would remain in effect while investigation is ongoing.

The probe is led by LTO-Cental Luzon director Ronnie Montejo, who said a show cause order has been issued to Palma. 

Reports submitted by the Porac police to the LTO-Central Luzon showed the children – aged two, six, eight and 10 – were in a kolong-kolong, a type of tricycle used for loading light materials, driven by their father Edmond Canlapan.

The victims were traveling along the Porac-Angeles road in Barangay Manibaug Pasig, Porac town when an Isuzu Forward truck rearended the kolong-kolong at around 10:30 p.m.

The impact threw the children off the tricycle. Two of them died instantly. Their father survived.