Heherson Alvarez hurt in vehicular accident in Bacolod City

The wrecked vehicle of Alvarez. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/Erlyn Bayonita

BACOLOD CITY—Climate Change Commissioner Heherson Alvarez was hurt on Tuesday afternoon when the Sports Utility Vehicle they were riding rammed into the side of a parked truck in Purok Tangke, Barangay (village) Pandanon Silos, Murcia town, 16.5 km east of here.

Alvarez, who spoke at an Interfaith Conference on Climate Change in Talisay City in the morning, was heading for San Carlos City to visit the solar fields there when the accident happened at 3:15 p.m.

John Ci-O, 38, driver of the Mitsubishi Montero Sports vehicle owned by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, tried to overtake a motorcycle but‎ instead, the SUV hit the front wheel and the side of a truck parked on the left lane of the road, said Senior Police Officer 1 Danilo Pastro of the Murcia police.

Climate Change Commissioner Heherson Alvarez. FILE PHOTO

Negros Occidental Vice Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, who was headed for Bacolod from San Carlos, passed by shortly after the accident and saw the wrecked Montero in the middle of the road and stopped to help.

Alvarez, 75, and his assistant Bernadette Felix, 50 who were both seated at the back, were able to walk to Lacson’s vehicle.

Lacson told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that Felix complained about having difficulty in breathing and had a bump in the back of the head.
While Alvarez didn’t have any visible wounds, the vice governor said Lacson was worried that he may be suffering from internal bleeding.
“Alvarez spat out a little blood, the vice governor said.

The two were taken to Pablo O. Torre Medical Center where they underwent several tests and X-ray.
Ci-O and Raffy Taguihanon, 35, were unharmed, said the police.
Taguihanon said their vehicle was traveling at 120 kilometers an hour when Ci-O suddenly stepped on the brakes to avoid hitting a motorcycle.

The Montero Sports instead hit a parked 10-wheeler truck.

Taguihanon said he and the driver were not hurt because of the airbags in the front seat.

Taguihanon said Felix had a bump on the back of her head and wound in the mouth, while Alvarez appeared to be shaken and needed oxygen.
Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Andres Untal said Alvarez had to undergo X-ray to rule out any internal injury.