LTO Issues Show Cause Orders Over Iloilo, Bacolod Crashes

By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan

Land Transportation Office (LTO) Western Visayas Director Gaudioso Geduspan II issued two show cause orders on Black Saturday, April 19, following major vehicular incidents in Bacolod City and a town in Iloilo province.

The orders direct the drivers and owners of the vehicles involved to submit written explanations to the LTO regional office within a specified period upon receipt.

The first case involved a vehicle driven by an Indian national that crashed into a Good Friday procession on April 18 in Bacolod City, resulting in one death and 17 injuries.

In a video statement, Geduspan said LTO personnel from the Negros Occidental Licensing Center were dispatched to investigate and that they are seeking to revoke the driver’s license after he tested positive for alcohol.

“We prepared a show cause order against the Indian national because he yielded a positive result in the alcohol test,” Geduspan said.

“This is a clear case of reckless driving involving the Toyota Innova.”

“Because of the gravity of what happened—with one death and multiple injuries—and his alcohol test result, we are looking at revoking his license,” he added.

“The issue here is whether he is an improper person to operate a motor vehicle.”

The second incident involved a private jeep from Alimodian, Iloilo carrying excursionists to San Joaquin that crashed on the roadside in Miagao.

The crash left 38 of about 60 passengers injured, including 19 minors.

Geduspan pointed out the driver’s recklessness in allowing passengers to ride on the jeepney’s roof and rear step board.

“It’s a clear reckless maneuver on the part of the driver to allow other passengers to climb onto the roof where there are no safety nets, and also to hook onto the back of the jeep,” he said.

“The only difference between this incident in Miagao and the one in Bacolod City is that no one died, and the injured are being treated at Guimbal District Hospital,” Geduspan added.