Poor road work blamed for fatal jeepney mishap

BY DEXTER A. SEE

SAGADA, Mountain Province – Poor engineering work on an ascending portion of the road, aggravated by landslide debris, was cited as among the causes of last week’s vehicular accident in this tourist town that claimed the lives of nine persons from nearby Besao town.

Survivors bared this to police who were probing causes of one of the worst vehicular accidents in this province the past 10 years.

On Dec. 13, 1996, seven secondary school teachers were also killed, and 13 others were wounded when the passenger jeep they were riding in suddenly fell into a deep ravine just below the place where a passenger jeepney figured in the tragic accident last week.

Nine passengers of the jeepney were killed and nine others were injured. The jeepney plunged into a 50-foot ravine on the Dantay-Sagada Road, at Sitio Pegeo.

The driver of the ill-fated jeepney bearing license plate number AYC 448 and plying the Besao-Bontoc route reportedly tried to maneuver the vehicle off a poorly engineered portion of the road while on an uphill climb when it fell into the ravine.

Chief Supt. Eugene G. Martin, director of the Police Regional Office in the Cordillera, earlier identified the fatalities of the accident as John L. Botengan, 79, married, former principal of the St James High School in Kin-iway, Besao; Adeline Bad-ay of Tambuan, Besao; Francis Buyagan Sr. of Sagada; Philip Alda Sr. of Agawa, Besao; Tuesday Linda Begalan, 57 of Payeo, Besao; Rosa Bal-I of Masla Tadian; Pauline Buko, 60, of Padangaan, Besao; Beliana Balisong, 80, of Besao East; and Cynthia Santong-Bangaan, 34, of Besao West.

The injured victims were identified as Eduardo Masweng, 40, married, driver of the vehicle and native of Gonogon, Bontoc; Biliana Bayudang, 60, of Kin-iway, Besao; Saturnina Tade, 29, of Besao East; Sylvia Balangayao, 55, of Kiniway, Besao; Janice Bayden of Kin-iway; Lyn Payangdao of Besao East; Libby Tade, 4; Felisa Balaw-is, and Daniel Tano of Soquib, Besao.
Initial police investigation showed the jeep came from this capital town and was en route to Besao when the accident occurred.

The dead and injured victims suffered multiple head and body injuries and fractures.
The injured victims were taken to the Bontoc General Hospital here for further medical treatment.

Bystanders and concerned citizens, who witnessed the accident, took the victims to the nearest hospital but some of them died on the way.

Besao is one-and-half hour uphill drive from this capital town. It is considered as the only town with three seasons -- the rainy, windy and sunny seasons.