6 killed in ComVal road accident

TAGUM CITY, Philippines – A beach outing ended in tragedy for a family when their vehicle careened off the road and slammed into a telecommunications tower in Monkayo, Compostela Valley Sunday night, killing six people, the police said.

Inspector Mervin Montecillo, Monkayo deputy police chief, said Monday that four of the victims were killed on the spot while two others died on reaching a local hospital following the accident along a stretch of Davao-Agusan highway in Purok Dao, Banlag village around 9:45 p.m.

Montecillo identified the fatalities as Fe Monares, 40, and her daughters Nikki, 16, and Khea, 14; Ronald, 39, and Rhona Mae, 14, all surnamed Anghad; and Kenneth Mascariñas, 14.

Four others, including the driver, Nilo Mascariñas, suffered injuries and were being treated at a hospital.

The names of the other wounded persons were not immediately available.

The victims were in a van and had come from the Island Garden City of Samal, in Davao del Norte, according to Police Officer 2 Leo Montejo of the Monkayo police.

Quoting a spot report, Montejo said that based on initial investigation, the van was negotiating a curved portion of the highway when the accident occurred.

“Apparently, the driver fell asleep behind the wheel, causing the vehicle to overshoot [the highway] and ram a post of Globe Telecoms along the roadside. The vehicle overturned, pinning most of its occupants,” Montejo told the INQUIRER by mobile phone.

Charity Español, a relative of the victims, said her family was shocked and devastated over the accident.

“They were on their way home from the beach outing in Samal when it happened. It’s really heartbreaking because one of our relatives–our grandfather–had just died last November. And now we have this,” Español told the INQUIRER.