Former Calinog mayor arrested for fatal hit-and-run

By Jennifer P. Rendon

A former municipal mayor was arrested in a hot pursuit operation following his involvement in a hit-and-run incident that killed a 19-year-old motorcycle rider on the evening of March 15.

Former Mayor Salvador Divinagracia, 67, a resident of Poblacion Ilaya, Calinog, Iloilo, was intercepted while navigating Barangay Ungka, Pavia, Iloilo at around 10:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Members of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 6 and Iloilo City Police Station 3 conducted the pursuit operation after they were alerted following a call from Emergency 911 about a vehicle involved in a road crash.

Police were not aware at the time that Divinagracia was behind the wheel of his black Ford Raptor pickup truck.

According to police reports, the former mayor’s vehicle collided with a Rusi 125 motorcycle driven by a certain Rhudolf at Barangay Pasil, New Lucena, Iloilo.

The victim, a resident of Purok IV, Barangay Damires, New Lucena, was coming from Iloilo City and was on his way home at around 9:50 p.m. when the incident happened.

CCTV footage showed that Rhudolf may have prematurely executed a left turn and encroached on the pickup truck’s lane.

Lt. Johnrey Laruan, New Lucena police chief, said the victim sustained a head injury.

He was rushed to New Lucena Polytechnic Hospital but was declared dead at 10:40 p.m.

Instead of stopping, Divinagracia continued to speed away.

He even dragged the motorcycle for three kilometers from the point of impact.

The vehicle was recovered at Barangay Calabua, Leganes.

Under Republic Act 10586, or the Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Act of 2013, and relevant provisions of the Revised Penal Code, fleeing the scene of a vehicular accident that results in death may lead to charges of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide, with the act of fleeing considered an aggravating circumstance.

Divinagracia told police investigators that he did not stop because the area was dimly lit.

He said that out of fear, he was not aware that he had dragged the motorcycle for three kilometers.

However, it appeared that motorists had noticed Divinagracia’s erratic driving behavior prior to the hit-and-run incident.

A group of persons inside a sport utility vehicle claimed they had to pull over because a Ford Raptor was alternately flashing its high and low beam lights.

When they stopped at the roadside, Divinagracia also pulled over, went to their vehicle, knocked on the driver’s window, and asked something in Tagalog.

They claimed that he was reeking of alcohol.

He immediately left after that.

They also noticed that he had been forcing his way into another vehicle’s lane while in Zarraga town.

Laruan said they could not determine if Divinagracia was under the influence of alcohol.

“He refused to undergo a medical examination,” he added.

Laruan said they also had no breath analyzer to ascertain if he was intoxicated.

Divinagracia is now in the custody of the New Lucena police station for proper disposition of his case.