North Cotabato car collision kills police chief, injures 4 others

KIDAPAWAN CITY — The police chief of a town died after his car collided with a jeep on the national highway here in North Cotabato Sunday afternoon.

Four other people – the driver of the jeep and his passengers – were injured, according to Supt. Bernard Tayong, spokesperson of North Cotabato Police Provincial Office.

Tayong identified the fatality as Chief Insp. Raymund Sarmogenes, chief of the Antipas Municipal Police Office.

Sarmogenes was driving a Toyota Avanza (ZJP-209, which collided head on at around 3 p.m. with a Willy’s Jeep driven by Joselito Aberde.

Tayong said Sarmogenes died past 5 p.m. while being treated at the North Cotabato Provincial Hospital.

Aberde was taken to the same hospital, along with his wife Maria Evelyn Aberde, 48, and his two children – Jennyjoy, 26, and John Rey, 18.

The Aberdes are residents of Barangay Poblacion 7 in Midsayap, North Cotabato. –Edwin O. Fernandez /atm