Bus, van collide in E. Samar; 5 killed

TACLOBAN CITY—A policewoman, a 7-year-old girl and three others were killed on Sunday night when a van collided with a bus in Quinapondan town, Eastern Samar province.

Skid marks found in Barangay (village) Bagti indicated that the BLBT bus encroached the lane of the van, said Senior Insp. Elmerson Badilla, police chief of Quinapondan.

Not one of the eight passengers of the bus was hurt, but the van was a wreck, Badilla said.

Badilla said the van was heading to Borongan City when it collided with the bus in Barangay Bagti about 6:40 p.m. The bus was bound for Guiuan town in Eastern Visayas.

Four van passengers were killed on the spot. They were Wendell Amande, Judy Ann Malindog and her sister Rowen, and PO1 Lea Caore, who was based in Burauen town in Leyte.

Regie Guirra, 7, died at Immaculate Conception Hospital in Gen. MacArthur town, also in Eastern Samar. His father, Federico, was among the seven van passengers hurt.

Also injured were Antonio Tamayo, Cecilia Casas, Jose Loste, Editha Loste, Annie Rivas and the two drivers—Roland Salape and van driver, William Formentera, 37, of Baybay City, Leyte province.

Salape, 39, who hails from Bulacan province, was detained at the Quinapondan police pending the filing of charges. Joey A. Gabieta, Inquirer Visayas