The motorcycle driver was identified as Alexel Tantoy Galdo, 18 years old, resident of Upper Ichon.He is a senior freshman taking up Criminology at Saint Joseph College here. The victim sustained some bruises and injuries on his forehead, knees and other parts of the body. His left leg’s upper knee was fractured including his two wrist arms.

His neighbor backrider was identified as Joshua Reviera Gonzales, 18 years old, jobless, and a school dropout. He sustained slight bruises, but his skull has a crack as seem in an e-ray result by Dr. Elpidio Sibud,a orthopedic surgeon. He suffered from frequent headaches.

Dr. Sibud, the attending physician of the victims, recommended to Gonzales’ parents a CT scan for their son to determine the condition of his brain. He was brought by the provincial hospital’s ambulance to Tacloban City the following day and was confined there for observation

In an interview with Galdo, he said they’ve left Upper Ichon at about 4:00 p.m. a Thursday to visit some friends in brgy. San Joaquin, Macrohon, less than 20 kilometers away from their place. As they reached the bridge in brgy. Amparo, he said, a multicab-turn-fish car was evading a Revo car parked near the bridge’s entrance. The car was unloading some passengers who were about to enter the inner road towards brgy. Mabini. However, the multicab collided instead with his motorcycle in the bridge as they were driving in opposite direction, he said. The bridge has served as the marked boundary between the 2 barangays of Amparo and Mabini.

He said the multicab’s windshield was shattered from the impact of collision that hit his forehead, spraining his 2 arms and wounding some parts of his body. The multicab’s front was also deformed, he said, while his motorcycle has also suffered some damages. He claimed he do not know what happened next as he became unconscious. He regained his consciousness on the way before they’ve reached the provincial hospital..

He said he found later on that it was the helper of the fish car’s driver who brought him to the hospital for emergency treatment. He said the multicab’s driver has no injuries. While his helper who sat besides him has a cut on his face, which was treated at the hospital.

Ludy Tantoy Galdo, 42 years old, the victim’s mother disclosed that the fish car’s owner residing in brgy. Pugaling (Isagani) has provided some financial assistance for his son’s medications. He has also shouldered half of the cost of the expensive stainless steel needed as bone support during the operation.

She informed both of them have favored for an amicable settlement to settle their case as they’ve discussed it in front of the police investigator at the Macrohon police station.

As of press time, the victim with stretched left leg has continued taking his prescribed medications administered by the nurse on duty. He has already undergone a bone operation the other day by Dr. Sibud, his attending physician. (Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.)

The old woman who died thirty five minutes later at the provincial hospital after she was hit by the speeding motorcycle was identified as Leonora Ocha-Marte,78 years old, and a resident of Brgy. Mambajao here in this city.

The driver of the Ramstar motorcycle was identified as Allyn Soco Amo, 20 years old, married, and a resident of brgy.Panan-awan.

In an interview with SPO2 Donato Cervantes, Traffic Police Officer, he disclosed that the victim was crossing the national highway in going to their “inner” home when she was hit by a speeding motorcycle driven by the suspect.

Cervantes said the suspect came from Pan-awan and was to fetch his wife working at SLEMCOOP office in Brgy. Asuncion, less than half a kilometer away from where the victim was hit.

According to police investigation the victim was hit on her body but struck her head on the concrete pavement causing her head to bleed profusely. She was rushed to the provincial hospital by her relatives for emergency treatment. However, she died of brain hemorrhage 35 minutes later.

At the victim’s residence, younger daughter Joyce Marte-Padilla, 39 years old, married, and resident of brgy.Isagani, said in an interview that after her mother has expired she called a long distance to Mindanao. She said she instructed her nephew Rayjill Marte in brgy.Diplahan, Sibugay, Zamboanga City to tell his aunt, Joyce’s older sister, Marilyn Marte, 54, single that Nanay Leonora was hit by a motorcycle and died.

Ms.Padilla revealed that in just 35 minutes later after receiving the sad news from Rayjill, Marilyn, her older sister has also died, as frantically conveyed to her by Rayjill in a long distance call from Zamboanga City.

She intimated that her older sister Marilyn has a hypertension and that the sad incident might have affected her emotion very badly causing her blood pressure to rise. “Most probably, she could not accept what had happened to our mother”, she said.

A concerned citizen stressed that a son or daughter should have to relay a sad family incident to any member of the affected family in an indirect manner thru hints or implications, not on a direct statement of disclosure. “Mostly loved ones who have received a sad or bad news within a family from afar by a straightforward revelation has an adverse consequences to a kin who has hypertension or heart disease”, she said.

Nevertheless, she (Ms, Padilla) confided that they have done the direct approach of revealing the sad family news to some of their close kins here, but no-one was seriously affected by the demise of her mother. “Of all my mother’s children”, she confessed,”Manang Marilyn is the closest to our mother. They are so close that mother’s sudden death might have grieved her deeply”, she said.

The body of Marilyn placed in coffin was brought here from Zamboanga City 2 days after she passed away.. They were buried simultaneously at the Catholic cemetery in brgy.Mantahan six days after the incident.

A relative of the suspect further divulged that after the victim’s close kins have evaluated the condition of their widowed Septuagenarian mother being in her old age, they have decided to have an amicable settlement with the suspect’s family. The latter have agreed to pay the former the amount of P65,000.00 as damages. (Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)

The impact of collision was so destructive that it broke the facial bone of the unidentified motorcycle driver with no headlight. The other driver was identified as Eliseo Sabandal Mangalo, 44 years old, married, and resident of Brgy. Sta.Sophia, Padre Burgos. The backrider, his son, was identified as Jessie Taylan Mangalo, 16 years old, a second year high school student of St.James Academy in Padre Burgos.

The 3 victims were brought by some concerned citizens in the neighborhood to the Padre Burgos Community Hospital for emergency treatment. But because of lack of facilities, they were referred to the provincial hospital here in this city. The unidentified driver-victim was found to be drunk as he himself heavily smelled of liquor when the witnesses raised him up aboard an ambulance bound for Maasin City. He was pronounced dead on arrival.

According to our source, the northwest-bound motorcycle has no headlight, the reason why the driver of the southeast-bound motorcycle was shocked to see that the speeding motorcycle?s proximity to his vehicle cold no longer be avoided, thus they inevitably collided.

In an interview at the hospital here, Virgelia Taylan Mangalo, 39 years old, wife of Eliseo said that her husband went to Brgy. Libas, Sogod about noon on that day to sell some fishes which he brought at the Padre Burgos fish port. At about 6:00p.m. when almost all of their fishes were sold out, her husband decided to go home. Upon reaching Brgy, Dinahugan, which is less than 10 kilometers away from Padre Burgos, the collision unexpectedly, happened. ?If only the other motorcycle was running with headlight?, she sadly said, ?most probably my husband can see the approaching vehicle clearly and can easily changed direction to avoid a collision?.

The senior Mangalo claimed he was unconscious right after the collision and did not know who were those people who brought them to the hospital in Padre Burgos. He said he only regain his consciousness while already at the hospital.

His left and right arms have swollen including his face. He has a big wound on his forehead and his swollen left eye was also injured. His right wrist and left leg were fractured. Attending physician, Dr. Elpidio Sibud, an orthopedic surgeon, told the victim?s wife that they need stainless steels as supportive braces to connect the 2 fractured bones of her husband.

The victim?s head, however, despite head injuries has no brain damage and his skull is intact as shown by X-ray results. Jessie has swollen left eye and looked blackish. He has some bruises also in different parts of his body but no fractured bone.

Mangalo?s smaller motorcycle, the Honda XRM was badly damage. While that of the unidentified driver?s bigger motorcycle Yamaha STX has little damage.

The victim?s wife further disclosed that they could not afford the big amount of money needed on her husband?s bone operation. She intimated she would try to approach a humanitarian or philanthropic institution which she thinks could possibly help them for financial assistance. (Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)

The victim was identified as Noel B. Tan, 33 years old, single, resident of Brgy. Laray, Macrohon, Southern Leyte. In an interview at the provincial hospital, he disclosed that he and his friend known only as Cherry Boy were having some liquor drinks in Brgy. Laboon, Maasin City, about 15 kilometers away from the city. He said he was only slightly drunk and not heavily drunk because they have limited their order to a manageable level.

At about 10:00 PM, he said, he brought his friend to his residence in Brgy. Batuan, more than 10 kilometers away from Maasin, passing the ?Tulay ng Pangulo?? in Brgy. Canturing. On his way back to the city, bound for home, he narrated, he decided to pass on the same bridge for a shorter route to save travel time.

As he passed the bridge, he said, he suddenly skidded and has forgotten what happened next. When he regained his consciousness at dawn, he continued, he was already at the hospital. The victim claimed several firemen who happened to pass by in Canturing bridge were the ones who brought him to the hospital.

Tan sustained some injuries. A big wound has nearly hit his right eye now looked partly red and some bruises below his face. His head however, with a slight injury was spared from brain damaged. His right hand had swollen, but no fractured bone.. His right ear was cut and has entailed five stitches.

Many Victims

The bridge has reportedly victimized many motorcycle drivers including multicabs since it was opened to the riding public about 2 years ago. It was claimed that the victims were either drunks or teetotalers who were not familiar with the bridge?s condition and were running in high speed. “Everytime the bridge becomes slippery caused either by rain or moisture formations on the bridge steel floorings“, a concerned citizen said, ?it is not selective whom to victimize, particularly if the driver is reckless and careless and is unfamiliar with the true condition of the bridge?.

Police Traffic Officer Donato Cervantes revealed that there were only 4 reported incidents of slides in Canturing Bridge to his office. He explained that those unreported accidents of slides might have no licenses to drive so that they refrain from reporting it.

?If in some places of the country the ‘Tulay ng Pangulo’ projects have the same kind of steel flooring materials, then there?s a great possibility that there were already numerous victims of slides in other provinces as well?, said another source.

A motorist who is familiar with the bridge?s true condition said that the warning sign ?Bridge Slippery When Wet? must be placed 25 meters away from it and not very near the bridge. ?Putting the warning sign very near to the bridge would not make any driver aware of its true condition. Because applying a break on a speeding vehicle at the very entrance of the bridge would surely victimize the driver for a sudden slide that may injure him/her seriously or break his/her bones?, he said.

The motorist who does not want to be named also informed that the Canturing Bridge would still become slippery even without rain. ?The natural coolness of the area during the night and on cold weather condition is a contributory factor that?s responsible in the moisture formations on the bridge?s steel flooring which causes the slippery of the bridge?.

He advised all the drivers of all vehicles in the city and those in neighboring towns who want to pass by the Canturing bridge to be very careful with their speed and must start slowing down at 25 meters away from it to avoid the abrupt slide upon passing on it, most particularly on rainy days and during the night and early mornings.

Moreover, majority of concerned citizens here have also suggested that the materials used in the Canturing bridge and other ?Tulay ng Pangulo? projects in the country with steel plates floorings be replaced with rough concrete floorings to eradicate, if not to avoid untimely deaths or serious injuries among the victims of unexpected slides. (Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)

The victim was identified as SPO1 Jesus Jayvee S. Tan, 38 years old, resident of Brgy. Laboon. He was rushed to the provincial hospital for treatment by the responding police team.

His wife, an elementary school teacher, who deeply grieved by the sudden death of her husband refused to be interviewed regarding the circumstances leading to the incident.

Tan, like his father, is a tennis player even before he became a policeman. He has continued to play tennis most of the time after his duties or when on leave. A co-player said that they were having a drinking spree at the Maasin Tennis Club before he (the victim) decided to go to Barangay Ibarra to visit his father who is sick. Another reason in going there is to check if his 2 children were already in Barangay Ibarra. A source said that it is always a routine for him during school days to fetch his children at the school after their classes.

It was believed that at the time he was going out and drove towards the downtown of Maasin City, he was to fetch his children at the school. However, no relative of the victim can confirm to this claim, much more his grieving wife, who was inwardly sobbing in sorrow and don?t want to talk about the topic. Besides, it was already past 10:00 p.m. when the accident happened on October 3, 2008.

During the accident a witness claimed that the victim, by the impact of the speeding motorcycle and abrupt swerve, was thrown away and turned turtle several times, then plunged into a coma right after the incident. Due to his serious injuries and critical condition he was referred to the Bethany hospital in Tacloban City, 180 kilometers away from Maasin City.

X-ray results showed that he sustained 4 broken ribs. His head was also swollen, which is the reason why the attending physician could not operated on him, said a senior policeman. A huge hematoma appeared on the right portion of his ribs. When the doctor decided to incise it, our source said, a huge amount of blood oozed out filling a gallon.

Our reliable source further said that he believed the broken ribs have injured some of the victim?s vital organs causing an internal hemorrhage. The accident occurred during the recent evening before 11:00 p.m.and died the following day at 1:30p.m. (Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.)