Truck hits 6 cars while trying to escape

A 10-wheeler truck hit six vehicles while escaping from the first vehicle that the driver hit causing multiple injuries and a heavy traffic along Demetrio Cortes St. in Mandaue City Friday evening.

Glenn Antigua, chief of operations of the Traffic Enforcement Agency in Mandaue (TEAM), said driver Niel Ryan Peralta, 37, of Baragay Subangdaku, Mandaue City first hit an Isuzu Crosswind.

Peralta tried to escape but the owner of the Crosswind gave him a chase.

As a result, Peralta hit six other vehicles - three private vehicles, an L300 van and a taxi cab.Peralta was eventually arrested at corner of G. Ouano Street.

Five persons were injured and were brought to Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center for medical attention.

Supt. Fructuoso Lim Jr., chief of Mandaue City Police Office- Traffic Management Unit (MCPO-TMU), said reckless imprudence resulting in damage to properties with multiple physical injuries will be filed against Peralta.

Meanwhile, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB)-7 has banned "perpetually" the manager of Inner J Tourist Transport from operating a vehicle for public transport.

"In view thereof, the Certificate of Public Convenience under the name of Joseph Pangatungan and/ or his business name Inner J Tourist Transport... are hereby revoked and cancelled. Respondent is barred and perpetually disqualified from becoming a grantee or operator of any Certificate of Public Convenience that may be issued by this office," part of the four-page order of LTFRB7 stated.

LTFRB heard of the case of Inner J Tourist Transport on January 31.

Also, stipulated in the same order, the operator is meted a fine of P200,000 for operating a colorum vehicle.

LTFRB-7 DirectorAhmed Cuizon said the office cancelled the franchise of all their vehicles and the respondent is now prohibited from operating public transportation for life.

The rented tourist van, believed to be owned by the company, figured in an accident in Alegria town killing seven passengers and leaving three others injured. The victims were US-based Filipino nurses and doctors who were in the country for a medical mission.

Cuizon encouraged the families of the victims to file appropriate cases against the driver and operator before the court.

LTFRB also found that the operator failed to submit an accident report and no monetary assistance was extended to the victims.

The insurance coverage for passengers of the vehicle expired December 13, 2017, before the crash happened on January.

Also, the respondent failed to register the vehicle with the Land Transportation Office to change its category from private to for-hire category.

During the hearing, the respondent reportedly claimed that the van that figured in the crash is no longer owned by the company.

The respondent confirmed that there are other vehicles under their franchise name which they do not own and are merely attached to them.

"From this posturing, it can be deduced that the operator has allowed another person to utilize his franchise in what is essentially a 'kabit' system arrangement. The kabit system arrangement has long been jurisprudentially declared void for being contrary to public policy," read the order.

The LTFRB-7 also plans to coordinate with the Department of Tourism (DOT)7 to discuss the issue that a local hotel allowed the use of unlicensed tourist transport providers.

This plan surfaced after LTFRB-7 enforcers recently caught a colorum or illegal tourist van operated by a transport network company.

The van was impounded at the LTFRB-7 parking area and may be released once the owner pays P200,000 as fine that goes with a three-month suspension of its operation.

Cuizon said the company is not a licensed tourist transport provider, however, is accredited as a Transport Network Company (TNC), just like Uber and Grab.

He said the van does not have a DOT sticker while the hotel sign was a removable magnetic strip. —

May B. Miasco andChristell Fatima M.Tudtud/MBG