LTFRB eyes faulty brakes in Antique bus mishap

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) is now looking into the possibility that the brakes of the bus that fell off a ravine in Antique malfunctioned.


According to a 24 Oras report Thursday by Kim Salinas of GMA Regional TV One Western Visayas, the angle was being examined in view of the information gathered by residents near the accident site in Hamtic town.


The LTFRB said that lifting the bus out of the ravine, and the recovery of its dashcam footage, would benefit the investigation. Last Wednesday, the LTFRB said it was investigating the conditions of the driver, bus and road when the incident occurred.
 

Local authorities, for their part, are set to hold a meeting to assess the so-called "killing curve" in Antique, and assess how similar mishaps can be prevented.
 

The death toll of the Antique bus crash has risen to 18 following the death of 20-year-old patient Arianne Mejia.

“Usually, kasi 'pag umuuwi siya sa Antique surprise 'yan. Hindi 'yan siya nagsasabi na uuwi. Makikita ko na lang nasa pinto na siya. So hindi ko alam talaga nagbiyahe na sya on that day,” said the victim’s mother, Venus Mejia. (Whenever she came home to Antique, she would make sure that it was a surprise. She didn't tell anybody. I would just see her at the door. So nobody knew that she would travel to Antique on the day of the tragedy.)


Mejia's boyfriend remains in critical condition, along with five other patients in Iloilo.

Financial assistance

In a related development, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) distributed a total of P60,000 to the victims of the Antique bus crash.

The DSWD provided P10,000 to each of the six critically injured patients at a hospital in Iloilo City.

It has also reached out to the local welfare and development offices to provide assistance to other victims.

Meanwhile, the DSWD is assessing the possible release of other assistance funds for the 10 injured passengers and the families of the 18 deceased. - VDV, GMA Integrated News