LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — Motorists traveling to this province and nearby places in the Cordilleras were advised to take extra care, following several reported road accidents in the region.
Benguet Police Provincial Office Director Senior Superintendent Lyndon Mencio said on Monday motorists in the upland region, especially those passing Kennon Road, Naguilian Roads, Marcos Highway, and Halsema Highway, should drive more safely to avoid accidents.
Mencio advised the motorists to properly check and condition their vehicles for long-distance travels.
The police official added the drivers must also be in good health to withstand long hours of driving, especially with the Cordillera’s winding or zigzagging mountainous terrain and unpredictable climate in Benguet these past days.
The Journal of the Police Regional Office Cordillera (PROCOR) showed on Monday another person and several individuals were reported injured in road accidents in various road networks in Benguet over the weekend. These are aside from several people who died and were injured last week, as vehicles either fell into the ravine or rammed into each other.
The provincial police report said Mercedez Caliging Pilay, a 44-year-old housekeeper, died in a vehicular accident in Sablan town in this province on Saturday (April 21).
Pilay was among the three passengers of a private vehicle with plate number YAB 371 and driven by Nicomides Laruan Caliging, 64, of Buyagan, La Trinidad, Benguet.
Pilay was rushed to the Cordillera Divine Grace hospital in this capital town, where she died shortly. Also injured in the accident were Susan Caliging Balanban, 45 , teacher and Marvin Caliging Pilay, 11, an elementary pupil, and the driver.
Initial police investigation said Pilay’s vehicle was going an uphill portion of the road when the driver lost control of the vehicle, causing it to roll over and rested on its wheels.
On the same day in Tuba, Benguet, two persons were injured–identified as Lucia Francesca Jimenez Nepomuceno, 8 years old and Eva Emmanuelle Jimenez Nepomuceno, 5 years old– when the van they were riding collided with a Philippine Rabbit Bus Line along Marcos Highway in Taloy Sur.
The injured victims were rushed to Baguio General Hospital for treatment.
Police investigators said the van, with plate number PQS908 and driven by Bryan Cuyugan Nepomuceno, 40, Vice Mayor of Angeles City, was descending towards the lowland, while the bus, driven by Larry Cabanilla Ocon, 42, of Binalonan, Pangasinan, was ascending towards Baguio City, when the bus allegedly encroached the other lane where the van was passing.
Last Thursday (April 19), four persons died while eight others were injured when a private van fell off a 12-meter ravine at Sitio Guesset, Bokod, this province.** Primo Agatep/ PNA
