Atty. Edwin Antipuesto, hearing officer of LTFRB-7.
CEBU CITY, Philippines- Representatives from the Vallacar Transit Inc., and Chong Hua Hospital attended the hearing set by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB)-7 this morning, November 3, 2020, to resolve the vehicular accident involving a Ceres bus and an ambulance owned by Chong Hua Hospital.
The accident happened on October 25, 2020, along General Maxilum Ave. across J. De Veyra St., Cebu City.
During the hearing, Gail Fernandez, admin manager of the bus company, claimed that the incident was purely an accident.
“Since based on our investigation, the driver was in his right position and he executed the diligence that is necessary. We have investigated through a CCTV that he was on a green light,” Fernandez said.
She added that even the passengers have testified that they did not hear the sound of the ambulance’s siren.
Fernandez also revealed that this is the first time that their driver, Benedicto Calduzo, was involved in a vehicular accident. Although, she admitted that the bus driver came from their other branch outside Cebu province.
The accident resulted in the death of the bus conductor, Leoric Sumalinog.
Lawyer Marc Phua, the representative from Chong Hua Hospital, who also attended the hearing, belied the allegation that the ambulance’s siren was not working when the incident happened.
He even presented a video that was recorded by a motorist, to prove that the siren of the ambulance was working during that time.
He added that they have already filed criminal charges against the bus driver before the Prosecutor’s Office.
“There is a separate criminal action that is being filed already in the Prosecutor’s Office, notwithstanding we will present the documents that we have already forwarded to them,” Phua said.
The lawyer submitted the affidavits of the seven persons who were riding the ambulance during that time, including the driver.
Lawyer Edwin Antipuesto, the hearing officer of LTFRB-7, said that after the hearing, they will present a report to LTFRB-7 regional director Eduardo Montealto Jr.
He added that the director will have on his discretion to decide on what sanction that the agency will be implementing against the bus company.
He also ordered Vallacar Transit, the operator of Ceres Bus Line, to submit the result of the drug test of their driver, which the bus company promised to submit after two days.
“But even the other driver, we have required nga kuhaan ang tanan. But for the purposes of the hearing, apil nato siya nga driver,” Antipuesto said.
Based on the record of the Highway Patrol Group (HPG)-7, from September 1 up to the present, 22 Ceres buses have already been involved in a vehicular accident in Cebu City, injuring 10 people, with one death./rcg