A passenger bus of Rural Transit, Inc., hit a cargo Isuzu Elf truck full of cargo with around twenty passengers in the rear and then sideswiped an oncoming tricycle with two passengers and the driver. The terrible accident happened in Barangay Camanga, Dumalinao on January 4, 2007 at around 9:00 in the evening. The Rural Bus with body number 9114 reportedly lost its brake causing it to lose control.

The driver/owner of the tricycle, Marlon Quadalquiver, 28 years old, a resident of Canunan, Guipos dislocated his left hip and leg and sustained abrasions in different parts of his body.

We were on our way home from Pagadian City where I fetched my wife who is working at the East Coast Department Store.We are on our way home to Barangay Canunan, Guipos, Zamboanga del Sur. I was driving my tricycle at low speed with my wife Marilou as my backrider and my neighbor Norlan Debrando at the side car. While we were negotiating the uphill road in Barangay Camanga near the Catholic Church, we noticed that a passenger bus coming from the opposite direction hit the rear end of a cargo Isuzu Elf truck at high speed. The passenger bus then careened to our direction side swiping us. My wife was thrown out to the ground. I remembered I cannot move my left leg and hip. I was rescued by Nolan who was able to jump before we were hit. I regained consciousness here in the hospital. I don't know where my wife is.

At the time of the interview with this writer, Marlon was unaware that his wife Marilou, 27 years old, died on the spot.

A passenger aboard the cargo Isuzu Elf narrated “We are all vendors of ukay-ukay and Sari-sari aboard the cargo vehicle and I was at the left side near the rear portion when the passenger bus hit our vehicle. All of us were thrown out due to the impact,” Sahidjan Abrijan, 38 years old and a resident of Santiago District, Pagadian City also told this writer at the said hospital. Abrijan sustained multiple injuries at different parts of his body particularly at his legs.

“I was at the front seat beside the driver since we left Zamboanga City after lunch. The trip was uneventful but just a few kilometers from where the accident happened I noticed that the driver was struggling with his driving. This unusual behavior gave me a clue that something is wrong with the vehicle. We were speeeding uncontrollably by the time we reached the down hill road approaching Dumalinao town proper. We crashed throught the road block at the police and military checkpoint in the intersection. I immediately transferred to the rear of the bus. We hit the Isuzu Elf ahead of us at full speed. The driver was trying to control the bus before we skidded into a roadside canal,"

Richard Lumasag told this writer when interviewed at the Pagadian City Medical Hospital.

A passenger of the Rural Transit bus, Richard Lumasag, 30 years old and a resident of Cagayan de Oro City, sustained bruises and injuries at his right lower knee and arms. ”No fatality among us passengers of the bus but I saw the driver who was pinned to the steering wheel rescued first by the responding police,” Richard added.

The Bus driver identified as Julieto B. Mandja 42 years old c/o address at Rural Transit, Pagadian City, was seriously wounded and sustained a fracture at his right leg and is also confined at the said hospital.

Pagadian Medical Centerl records show that only four passengers were seriously wounded, five are slightly wounded and some from the Isuzu Elf are out-patient. Six passengers from the Rural Bus also sustained slight wounds arrived at the said Hospital were treated and sent home.

At the Pagadian Community Hospital, “We have only four patients confined here due to the accident. One was Reneboy Padilla, married, 32 years old, resident of Provincial Jail site, Pagadian City who was transferred later to Orquieta City by his relative. He sustained serious head injury. Mrs. Angelina Gatcho, 67 years old, a resident of San Jose District, Pagadian City also sustained head injury but is now in stable condition. Elyn Mondenido, 31 years old, resident of upper Nilo, Tigbao, Zamboanga del Sur, is also in stable condition. All were passengers of the Isuzu Elf.Marlon Quadalquiver, the tricylce driver who lost his wife is also in stable condition,” Attending Physician Dra. Angela Jamelaren Española also said.