M.C. Briones Street in barangay Basak is one of the busiest streets in Mandaue City since it leads to Consolacion and other northern Cebu towns .
This part of the national highway is also the site of several road accidents, leading residents of barangays Basak and Canduman to believe spirits haunt the site.
Danilo Ponce, whose tailoring shop in M.C. Briones Street has been there for more than two decades, said he’s witnessed several mishaps there – one accident every year for the past 20 years.
A mini-bus rammed into an electric post after hitting a security guard and injuring several passengers at North Road, national highway near barangay Basak, Mandaue City last month.
“Daghan na gyud aksidente diha sauna pa mga 1990s. Kaning dapita grabe gyud ni siya (There have been many accidents that happened here since the 90s. This area is quite dangerous),” he said.
He said the street used to be small with trees planted on both sides before it was widened.
The 64-year-old Ponce said residents believe spirits lived in the trees and haunted the streets.
Arnel Rosalejos, who grew up in barangay Canduman, said the trees were cut down to give way to the road widening, and that residents believe this angered the spirits.
“Before, tricycles used to travel in the area heading to Consolacion town. Now it’s almost impossible that no accident happens there,” Rosalejos said.
“Nabantayan gyud nako kada tuig naay madisgrasya. Naay uban dili mamatay apan grabe pud silag kahimtang (I notice that every year accidents happen in this area. Those who do not die suffer tremendously from physical injuries),” he said.
Last August, basketball coach Manolet Subang of Lamac, Consolacion town died when a wayward 10-wheeler truck hit him and drove over nine other vehicles.
The driver Nelson Isobal said his truck lost its brakes.
The accident also injured seven people.
Last month, a mini-bus driven by Antonio Abatayo lost its brakes and rammed into two jeepneys and two persons before hitting an electric post on the road. The accident killed two persons and injured 22 others.
Abatayo claimed that he lost his brakes when he reached the area.
But the mini-bus owner Rodolfo Davidson said the brakes were functional and Abatayo told him that he couldn’t explain how he lost his brakes.
Davidson said Abatayo is a careful driver who’s been working with him for years.
Police traffic investigator Ruben Cerdena, who investigated the incident, said eight people died in the area in the past three years.
“Kung maghinay lang unta sila, dili man siguro maaksidente diha permente. Kasagaran man gud sa mga drivers nganha kusog magpadagan unya dulhogan mana diha dapita (If they just drive slow, there wouldn’t be an accident. A lot of drivers drive fast, and the area is known to be accident-prone),” he said.
Cerdena said the street needs humps to discourage drivers from speeding up. But since M.C. Briones Street is part of the national highway, Mandaue City Hall only sets up signages reminding drivers to slow down.