By NITZ ARANCON
and JOEY NACALABAN
Correspondent .
MAYOR Oscar Moreno yesterday ordered an investigation into allegations that a traffic law enforcer stopped an ambulance that was rushing a patient to a hospital.
Moreno’s order came after a video posted by one Ardy Lira Cabuena went viral on Facebook on Saturday.
The video showed a Roads and Traffic Administration (RTA) and the ambulance driver arguing at the corner of CM Recto Ave. and Osmeña Street here. A woman’s voice was then heard asking the men to hurry up because the patient needed to be rushed to a hospital.
Moreno instructed RTA chief Nonito Oclarit to investigate the incident involving the traffic aide identified as Lee Bersano.
The ambulance driver was identified as 44-year-old Alvin Carlos of Barangay 22, this city.
Moreno however said there was a need to establish the facts first, and “we advise against further speculations on the matter, pending the result of the investigation.
“Let us wait for the result of a proper and impartial investigation.”
Oclarit said he and Bersano briefly talked about the incident yesterday but the details remained unclear to him at presstime.
“Iya man lang tong gi-explain ang nahitabo pero mag-estorya pa kami ug usab,” Oclarit said.
Bersano caught the ire of many netizens for delaying the ambulance, and there were also questions on why Carlos stepped down of the vehicle to argue with the traffic aide when he was supposed to be rushing a patient to a hospital.
Cabuena’s video was shared some 17 thousand times, viewed 445 thousand times and generated 6,100 reactions on Facebook as of 8:31 pm Sunday. But the video was no longer on Cabuena’s page as of yesterday afternoon.
Bersano, in an interview, said he signaled for Carlos to stop because the ambulance was about to hit a motorcycle.
“Kalit man lang nasuko ang driver. Iya kung gitudlo-tudlo ug gipangitaan ko niya’g ID. Mao tong naglalis mi ug nahapak nako iyang sakyanan nga ambulansya,” Bersano said.
Carlos, in a police blotter, said he became angry after Bersano hit the ambulance with his palm.
Dennis Nayve, RTA chief for operations, said the RTA started getting more information from several sources and would review a CCTV recording.
“Ato lang likayan ang paghimo og negative nga mga comment kay wala man gyuy nasayud kung unsa gyud ang nahitabo,” Nayve said.
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