4 dead, 2 hurt in Manapla road crash

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – Four persons, including two senior citizens, and a minor died while two others were injured after their car crashed into a motorcycle and a house gate at Barangay Tortosa, Manapla, Negros Occidental early Friday.

Police identified the fatalities as Angeles Salmorin, 80; Dolores Granada, 83; Jeljuredi Labrador, 15; and a woman, whose identity is still being confirmed by the authorities.

Wounded were Rolinda Barte, 77; and Anabelle Estil, 39.

Police Major Jaynick Bermudez, town police chief, said a Mitsubishi Mirage drove by 38-year-old Froilan Samillano with five passengers – Granada, Salmorin, Barte, Estil, and another woman was on its way to Cadiz City to seek treatment with a faith healer when they figured in an accident.

Bermudez said the car allegedly hit Labrador who was sitting on a motorcycle parked at the roadside while attending a funeral wake around 2:45 a.m.

The car swerved and dragged Labrador a few meters away, then it fell into the drainage and rammed into a gate, he added.

Bermudez said that Samillano who was driving his in-law’s car was not speeding when it occurred. He was even unharmed.

Bermudez said that Samillano was hired to accompany the passengers to Cadiz City when he allegedly dozed off, contrary to his claim that he had difficulty driving because the road was too dark.

All six victims were brought to a hospital, where four of them were declared dead. Two other wounded victims are still confined to a hospital here.

Police are now waiting for the decision of the victims’ families for the filing of charges against Samillano who is now under police custody.