CEBU CITY, Philippines – A five-year-old girl was killed and 15 persons were injured in separate vehicular accidents in Cebu, the police said Friday.
In Balamban town, 15 people were hurt Thursday night when the pick-up type multicab (plate no. GMF 702) they were riding in crashed into a tree and fell 10 feet into a ravine in Barangay Cantibas, a mountain village 15 kilometers from the town proper.
Police Officer 2 Hannibal Larida, investigator of the Balamban Police Station, said the victims were on to watch the Balamban Got Talent show – a part of the town’s festivities on Oct. 3-4 –when the accident occurred at around at past 9 p.m.
The injured were identified as Raul Sabalande, 34, driver and owner of the multicab and passengers Rodolfo Soriano, 28; Dolorosa Villasante, 45; Ronnie Villasante, 16; Jenriel Requizo, 18; Loren Villasante, 5; Edwin Lowejo, 26; Roberto Arbas, 10; Rezia Arbas, 7; Jestia Villasante; and Teresa Escobido, all from barangay Cantibas.
Also hurt were four poultry farm workers Dioscoro Belda, 22, from Dalaguete town, Cebu; Jimboy Carbaquil, 18, of Escalante town, Negros Oriental; Ronald Mabano, 22, and Richard Lopez, 30, both of Barangay Talamban, Cebu City.
Initial investigation showed that Sabalande was already drunk when he drove his newly-bought multicab to ferry the group.
Larida said they found a pitcher at the accident site, indicating that the driver and his passengers were drinking while on their way to the town proper.
The victims, most of whom sustained broken bones and bruises, were brought to the Balamban District Hospital. Except for the poultry farm workers, the rest were transferred to a hospital in Cebu City because of serious injuries, Hannibal said.
On Bantayan Island, 5-year-old Sarah Mae Cabrera was hit by a Toyota Revo in Sta. Fe Heights, Barangay (village) Pooc, Sta. Fe town at 8 a.m. Thursday.
The child was brought to the Bantayan District Hospital where she died a few hours later.
Senior Police Officer 1 Sheila Ilustrisimo of the Sta. Fe Police station said the Toyota Revo that hit Cabrera was owned by Bantayan Island Power Corp.
The child was reportedly hurrying to join her mother, who was selling food items on the other side of the street.
The driver of the BIPC vehicle, Seth Bitoon, a maintenance superintendent of the power company, was detained after the accident.
But as of Friday morning, Ilustrisimo said there was a negotiation for a settlement so Bitoon could be released and would not be charged criminally.