BONTOC, Mtn. Prov.– A driver of an Izusu cargo 10-wheeler truck with plate number RAZ 305 with markings as AMAD Trucking DF 011 Tawang,Tomay L.T.B. was invited by personnel of the Bontoc Municipal Police Station for questioning for violating the load limit of the Nacagang detour bridge in Sabangan, Mountain Province on August 8, 2017. The vehicle is owned by Apollo Piluden, a resident of Bahong La Trinidad, Benguet.
Via an information of a concerned citizen, this writer informed the cops regarding the truck parked at the frontage of Mountain Province General Comprehensive High School.
In an interview with the truck driver before informing the cops, Alfredo Racaido Antipuesto, 66 years old from Pangasinan, admitted that the truck was loaded with 600 bags of cement to be delivered to Tarnate Hardware in Poblacion, Bontoc. He said he did not notice the 5-ton signage of the bridge.
A bag of cement weighs 40 kilos, so the load of the truck was 24 tons and then add the weight of the 10-wheeler truck which was about 8 tons.
Glen Paquito, a resident of Bontoc came and scolded the driver, “Haan kayo lang labas nga labas. Ammom diyay rangtay temporary laeng diyay ket no narba diyay, di sika nakabasol.” Do not just come and go. That bridge is only temporary and if it collapsed, then it’s your fault.
Bontoc Police confiscated the driver’s license and the key of the truck and informed their counterparts in Sabangan since the violation happened in the area of responsibility of the Sabangan MPS.
SPO4 Cesar Tudlong has this to say to the driver. “No tininnag yo diyay, haan mabalin nga ikabil tayo dayta (truck) ta iso pang rangtay tayo.” If you felled that (bridge), we cannot place that (truck) as a bridge.
Sabangan Police came to Bontoc MPS and requested the presence of this writer being the complainant in the case. In turn, this writer invited Robin Faed of the maintenance section to represent the Mountain Province First District Engineering Office since most of their personnel were on seminar.
Together with PO3 Bryan Dulay of Sabangan MPS, we referred the case to the Land Transportation Office for the filling of the appropriate violation and corresponding penalty since this is the first case involving such violation.
Sabangan Police disclosed in its report that said vehicle was cited with an LTO-temporary operator’s permit by the deputized LTO officer of Sabangan MPS for his violation while his driver’s license was submitted at the LTO-Bontoc Branch for proper disposition.
Meanwhile, Mountain Province First District Engineering Office district engineer Alexander Castañeda stated in an interview in the morning of August 11 that their office is appealing to truckers especially those transporting construction materials to lessen their load as not to damage the detour bridge while the permanent bridge is under construction. He added that truckers should cooperate considering that Sabangan is just near Bontoc.
An observer wants to cite the good example being done by the CYD boys in lessening their load of Coke products before crossing the bridge on their way to Bontoc.
The general welfare should always be the paramount consideration and not just thinking of your personal profit. The residents near the bridge should also help in reporting heavy loaded trucks crossing the bridge to Sabangan MPS to safeguard the vital bridge.** Ferdie Cariño Castañeda
