After road accident, who’s liable? Victims’ family lost breadwinner

Who will answer for damages if the family of the golf course worker who died in Sunday’s collision with a province-owned Mitsubishi Strada of Capitol chief security officer Loy Madrigal files charges?

Elpidio Mirambel, older brother of 50-year old Felix Mirambel, said he and his other siblings will deliberate on this after the funeral on Oct. 4.

¨We will still have to look for a lawyer and have a consultation as well,¨ the older Mirambel told Cebu Daily News.

Mirambel said the family is determined to go after the security officer unless a settlement is reached.

¨Og mohatag sila sa tanan gasto ug paskwelahon ang tulo pa ka anak ni Felix hangtod college, wa siguroy kaso nga mahitabo,¨ he said.

(If they commit to pay for all the expenses and shoulder the cost of education of Felix´s three children, we may not push through with the case.)

Capitol officials said the provincial government is taking care of the hospital bills and extended burial assistance to the Mirambel family.

Liability would initially focus on Alberto Naranja, who Madrigal said was his driver that evening, although the man had no work contract with the Capitol.

Bogo police said the vehicle was speeding on the highway , when it collided with the oncoming motorbike ridden by Mirambel and his wife, killing the husband and badly injuring his spouse.

The couple’s eldest child, 19-year old Leslie, graduated with a two-year degree in computer studies but is unemployed.The second, 17-year-old Arthlie, finished high school but did not continue to college due to financial constraints.

¨My parents couldnt afford the tuition. I wanted to take up criminlogy in Bogo city,¨ he said.
The three younger children, ages 16, 12 and 11, are still in school.

According to his older brother, Felix had been working as a driver for the Queen´s Island Golf and Resort in Medellin town since 2006.

Mirambel said his younger brother earned P8,000 a month back in 2011, a meager amount to support the family.

When supertyphoon Yolanda ravaged northern Cebu last year, Felix´s home in Bogo city was destroyed. The family had to stay in a covered court for a while.

Earlier this year, they started to build a new home in barangay Taytayan which remains unfinished.

Even without his father around to support them anymore, Arthlie or ¨Dondon¨ as he is called by family, said he still hopes to go back to school.

¨Kahibawo man ko nga kung sakto ra gyud akong pangayoon sa Ginoo, Iya ra man gyung ihatag,¨ he said.

The Cebu provincial government is paying for the hospital expenses of Felix´s wife, Marites who will undergo an operation to fix her fractured leg once a stainless steel rod can be provided.

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