A 64-year-old woman passenger was killed and 19 more were rushed to the hospital after a passenger bus they were riding crashed while traversing along the highway of Bukidnon yesterday morning.
Police Col. Jun Mark Lagare, Bukidnon Provincial Police director, identified the fatality as a certain Perena Hagila, married, and resident of Cabanglasan of the said province.
She was declared dead upon arrival at Bukidnon Provincial Hospital, Annex located at San Miguel, in Manolo Fortich town.
Nineteen more passengers were rushed to the said hospital for treatment after sustaining minor and major injuries to different parts of their bodies due to the impact.
According to the same report, prior to the incident at around 11 am a Mitsubishi passenger bus bearing plate no. 100806, driven by Anthony Monterola, a resident of Barangay Miglamin, Malaybalay City of the same province, was traversing along Sayre highway specifically at Mangima, Barangay Tankulan, Manolo Fortich, of the same place when a mechanical problem occurred.
Monterola told a police investigator that he was from Opol, Misamis Oriental heading to Cabanglasan with 47 passengers, all residents of Barangay Cananga-an, Cabanglasan, Bukidnon.
He said that upon reaching the said place, the vehicle’s brake malfunctioned and ran out of control towards the opposite direction.
Subsequently, it fell to the left side and crashed down on the road.
The said vehicle is registered under the name of Renante Inocando of Cabanglasan.
The driver is now under the custody of Manolo police for proper disposition.
