6 dead as bus plows thru crowd of Edsa commuters

Five commuters end up in body bags while a sixth died later in the hospital following Thursday’s bus accident on Edsa, Makati City. PHOTO BY GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

“Brakes don’t fail that easily. A prudent driver would have noticed a gradual change.”

The chief of the Makati City police was pointing out the apparent lapses of the driver whose speeding bus plowed through a group of rush-hour commuters on Edsa Thursday morning, killing six people.

The wayward Elena Liner bus finally stopped when it rammed into another bus waiting at a loading bay on the southbound lane in Barangay Magallanes, Makati. A total of 30 passengers from both vehicles suffered bumps and bruises, while the six fatalities included a police officer.

The driver, Antonio Dalag, who also sustained head injuries, was set to be charged with reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide and physical injuries while his employer faced civil liabilities, according to Senior Supt. Manuel Lukban of the Makati police.

Based on IDs and documents recovered, those who died on the spot were identified as Lawrence Blay Navarro, a police officer whose unit was not immediately known; Lamberto Singular Jr., an employee of Manila International Airport Authority; Fernando Sison, a resident of Pangasinan province; Osias Mata Jr., a welder; and Jessa Meneses.

The sixth victim, a man whose identity was not immediately known, later died at Makati Medical Center, according to Southern Police District director Chief Supt. Jose Edwin Villacorte.

An initial investigation showed that the Elena Liner (TXN 191) driven by Dalag lost control and ran into a group of commuters.

The injured included passengers of an MGP Transit bus that was hit in the rear by a wayward Elena Liner unit. PHOTO BY GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

At least three commuters ended up under the vehicle, which only came to a stop when it crashed into the back of an MGP Transit bus (NVX 360), which was then loading passengers.

The MGP Transit driver, Mauro Pancho, was initially taken into police custody but Lukban later said “he’s also a victim here.”

“Before Dalag was brought to the hospital, he told us that his brakes stopped working,” said traffic investigator SPO1 Romel Salvador.

But Salvador said it was hard to verify Dalag’s claim since the front of his bus was wrecked.

Dismissing the driver’s excuse, Lukban said “it’s his duty to ensure that his bus is fit to travel, so you can’t just say it was an accident.”