CEBU, Philippines – Road accident is among the top 10 causes of deaths in the Philippines, according to the Department of Health.
In fact, scores of people have died and injured due to vehicular accidents in Cebu in 2015. The records of Cebu City Traffic Office show that a minimum of six accidents happened every day. Some notable traffic accidents were recorded both in the city and in the province of Cebu.
VECO pole kills boy
On June 3, a 13-year-old boy was killed while two others were injured after they were being pinned down by a concrete pole of the Visayan Electric Company at a barbecue station in Barangay Tinago, Cebu City.
Ralph Bureros, was electrocuted, his legs were fractured, and his chest was pierced by a piece of wood. He was rushed to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival.
Jeserea Ambros suffered electric burns and injuries in the head and was confined at the Cebu City Medical Center. Dorine Estologa had to be treated also after she suffered wounds in her hands.
Barely two weeks after the Tinago incident, another utility pole fell on two women along Veterans Drive in Barangay Lahug after a boom truck hit the overhang cables.
Irene Bordon, 54, and Delia Bingala, 52, both from Sitio Maracas, Barangay Lahug, sustained injuries because of the incident. Bordon died in the hospital while Bingala survived from injuries in her hands.
Londres Fabiano Jr., 31, of Barangay Mabolo, driver of the boom truck, allegedly forgot to lower down the crane of his truck hitting the wires of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company.
After the incident, the Cebu City Council wanted the executive department to reconvene the city’s Utility Lines Installation Coordinating Committee to address the sagging overhead cables.
Pastor dies in accident
Death came unexpectedly for a church pastor and basketball coach after his motorcycle was hit by an Izusu van loaded with sacks of sugar in Barangay Canduman, Mandaue City in August.
Pastor Manulit Subang, 28, of Consolacion, was heading to Cebu City when the accident involving at least 10 vehicles happened. The van was also traveling to Cebu City when it suddenly lost its brakes near the corner of H. Abellana Street and J.P. Rizal Street popularly known as Cebu North Hagnaya road.
Investigation showed that the van first hit a Honda XRM motorcycle driven by Alberto Tan of Liloan who was fortunate to only sustain injuries. The van then hit a taxi cab driven by Mark Joseph Mahilom of Sogod town. The taxi also rammed into an Isuzu mini dump truck parked on the side of the road.
The wayward van plowed a Yamaha Mio motorcycle driven by Jay Paul Tan of Consolacion town – who also sustained injuries – before it rammed a public utility jeepney driven by Ronelio Cuerda Jr., which also slammed into a sari-sari store.
The van then hit Subang who was driving his motorcycle before hitting another taxi driven by Fernando Forosuelo of Cebu City, a KIA sportage driven by Panculito Diola of Liloan, and ultimately a motorcycle of the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (TEAM).
Siblings Ge-ann Pradia, 8, and Rolly Pradia, 5, both of Consolacion; Irene Salgdao, 28, also of Consolacion; Rommel Campus, 43, of Cebu City; and Alemar Algar, 19, of Lapu-Lapu City, were also injured and were brought to the Mandaue City Hospital but were released days later.
SRP accident
A 29-year-old man died while two, including a girl, were injured in an accident on the bridge at the South Road Properties in Cebu City in October.
Albert Punay, 29, who was on his motorcycle, was declared dead on arrival because of severe injuries after he was hit by a Starex van driven by Arnold Yap, 44.
Punay was badly injured while Yap, a resident of Barangay Mambaling, and his 12-year-old daughter Katherine also suffered injuries.
Mandaue accident
Two people were killed while 21 others were injured last October when a minibus lost its brakes hitting two jeepneys, a bicycle and two pedestrians before ramming into an electric post along the national highway in Barangay Basak, Mandaue City.
Security guard Edwin Rago was pronounced dead on arrival at the Mandaue City District Hospital while a woman also died later at the Eversley Child Sanitarium Hospital.
Police Officer 2 Ruben Cerdeña, traffic investigator of the Mandaue City Police Office, said the accident was caused by a minibus driven by Antonio Abatayo.
The minibus came from Carmen town and was heading to Cebu City with over 30 passengers.
The injured passengers were identified as Fe Beltran, 42, of Yati, Liloan; Henry Beltran, 42, also of Yati, Liloan; Agripino Ostria Jr, 27, of Sto. Niño, Upper Looc, Danao City; Regem Galdo, 38, of Compostela; Gerome Dompor of Barangay Jubay, Liloan; Junrey Banzon of Carmen; Jason Sandal of Mandaue City; Erwin Quiros, 42, of Compostela; John Pave Pecqez, 22, Danao City; Gera-lyn Pirongan, 25, Cogon Cruz, Danao City; Roger Casia, 39, Guinsay, Da-nao City; Roy Gantalao, 34, Looc, Danao City; Temogine Graillos of Sabang, Danao City; Virgilio Negapatan Abella, 21, Maslog, Danao City; Hilario Purgatorio, 44, Carmen; Pacifico Castro Chonizsa of Agay-ay, Poblacion, Liloan; Jeneto Donggon Lutayao, 33, Compostela; Sheryl Andrino, 37, Bogo City; Wengie Flor Mojado Mata, 26, Taytay, Danao City; Cheryl Menjuito, 29, Dungguan, Danao City; and Irene Lawas, 28, of Compostela.
Four months after the pastor was killed in Maguikay, a mother and her son died after being run over by a truck while crossing M.L. Quezon Street in Mandaue City.
Jenalyn Estenzo, 35, and her son Jay were pinned under the rear wheels of the truck driven by Anastacio Hermida, 49. —/FPL (FREEMAN)