Village chair rams SUV into Pasig resto; 17 injured

A barangay chair in Manila is facing criminal charges after the sports utility vehicle (SUV) she was driving rammed into a restaurant in Pasig City Friday night, injuring herself and 16 others.

Police said Cynthia Escauso, 42, was travelling with a companion in her Mitsubishi Montero (TXI 567) just before midnight when she lost control on Meralco Avenue and hit the Oyster Boy bar at the Metrowalk commercial area.

She remained confined at Medical City as of Saturday, along with two of the 16 people hurt in the incident, according to the city police chief, Supt. Alfredo Calama-an.

Calama-an identified Escauso as the chair of Barangay 402 of Manila’s Sampaloc district.

The injured included the restaurant’s crew and customers who were also rushed to the hospital. The impact mainly destroyed the bar’s glass panels and furniture.

Before receiving treatment, Escauso insisted before investigators that she was forced to swerve to the right to avoid hitting two pedestrians who suddenly crossed Meralco Avenue. Kristine Felisse Mangunay