Suspect in drunk man’s fatal ‘accident’ in Parañaque surrenders

Sammy Manlapaz, the conductor of the bus which Ramil Legaspi last rode before he was found dead in Parañaque (Photo from the Parañaque City Police Station)

The conductor of a passenger bus from which a drunk man allegedly fell by accident in Parañaque surrendered to authorities on Tuesday to clear his name.

Parañaque police, however, still filed a murder complaint against him at the City Prosecutor’s Office against Sammy Manlapaz, 30, bus conductor of Cavite Batangas Transport Service Cooperative, which is based in Alfonso in Cavite province.

Manlapaz told the Inquirer he surrendered to the Alfonso Municipal Police Station to clear his name in the death of Ramil Legaspi.

The body of 42-year-old Legaspi, who died after hitting his head on the concrete center island, was found on Roxas Boulevard in Barangay Baclaran early Sunday.

Maria Theresa, Legaspi’s wife, told authorities her husband went to a relative’s sendoff party in Cavite where he got drunk.

Legaspi took the bus on to return to Metro Manila, on his way home to his house in Navotas.

In a sworn statement, witness William Anore positively identified Manlapaz as the person who kicked a drunk Legaspi out of the bus, which has plate number ABD 6401.

Manlapaz denied he kicked the victim, insisting that Legaspi “accidentally fell out of the bus due to being overdrunk.”

“After paying the bus ticket for P25, he followed me to the front seat and pestered me to give him his change. I just ignored him because he was drunk and he paid the exact fare,” he said.

He also noted that Legaspi, who was supposed to take another ride at MRT Buendia Station, had been “loud and rowdy” in the bus.

Asked why he and the driver left the body of Legaspi on the road, Manlapaz said: “We thought he just lay there motionless because he had fallen for being too drunk. We didn’t see any blood. So we let the bus go.”

“I am innocent,” Manlapaz said. “If I really wanted to escape, I could have done so by getting that day’s earnings and hid in my hometown in Masbate.”

Manlapaz is currently detained at Parañaque City Police Station. His coaccused, bus driver Ruel Morada, remained at large, according to Senior Insp. Jerry Sunga, chief investigator of the Parañaque police.

Sunga said the operator of the bus company was “not cooperating” in the investigation by not surrendering the bus where Legaspi last rode.

“We have alerted the Land Transportation Office to flag down all their buses,” Sunga said. “We will also seek the revocation of their fleet’s franchise from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board if they failed to cooperate in the investigation.” /atm