Operator of bus in deadly Antique crash vows cooperation in gov't probe

The operator of the passenger bus that crashed into a ravine in Hamtic, Antique on Tuesday afternoon that killed over a dozen people has vowed to cooperate with the investigation the government will be conducting.

In a statement on Wednesday, Vallacar Transit, Inc. (VTI), the operator of Ceres Bus Liner, said it has reported the accident to the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB), and that it "is willing to cooperate with any investigations" the government body will be conducting.

Seventeen people were confirmed dead from the accident while seven were injured, Antique Governor Rhodora Cadiao said on Balitanghali on Wednesday, citing report from the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) .

VTI said it has suspended all operations of the 12 remaining units under the franchise pending investigation.

"Vallacar Transit, Inc. would like to express its most heartfelt apologies to those who were involved in the incident," the company said. "We would also like to send our sincerest condolences to the bereaved families."

VTI said it will give financial assistance to the victims and their families, including shouldering their medical and burial expenses.

"The management guarantees the riding public that we are taking all the appropriate steps to ensure that our buses are road-worthy and well-maintained," it said.

Accident-prone area

In an interview on Unang Balita, Hamtic MDRRMO head Rafael Magbanua said the site of the crash is a known accident-prone area.

"Accident-prone po talaga iyong lugar na iyon (That is really an accident-prone area)," he said.

"Actually, last incident happened is 2018 and then next is 2019 and then this year also," he added.

To avoid accidents, Magbanua said the road has been expanded to four lanes and concrete barriers have been set up on the cliff.

The accident happened 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday involving a Ceres bus from Iloilo heading to San Jose, Antique. 

Cadiao earlier said 28 people were reported dead and 16 were critically injured. She said there were 53 people on board the bus.

In a statement early Wednesday morning, the Antique Provincial Government said, "[T]he total number of passengers, which was first estimated to be 53, is yet to be verified."

During the Balitanghali interview, Cadiao said this was due to confusion as there was poor cellphone signal in the area.

Citing bystanders, Magbanua said the bus' brakes malfunctioned while the vehicle was running fast.

Cadiao, in an interview Tuesday night, said one of the passengers who was healthy enough to be interviewed told her that the driver checked the bus as if there was something wrong before they got into the "mountain highway." 

It was on the highway that the driver repeatedly honked the bus horn to indicate that he has lost control of the vehicle.

Cadiao said the bus fell into a portion of the road that had no side barrier. —KBK, GMA Integrated News