Reggae singer dies in road mishap

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – A popular reggae artist in the Philippines died after he was run over by a 10-wheeler truck loaded with sugarcane along the Circumferential road at Purok Tultugan, Barangay Mandalagan here early Friday.

Police identified the victim as Juan Manuel Ubaldo, 44, of Barangay Estefania here.

He was popularly known as “Kokoi Baldo” after he joined the ABS-CBN’s singing reality show The Voice of the Philippines Season 2 in 2014.

Major Armilyn Vargas, head of Police Station 3, said the victim was riding a motorcycle and was tailing a pick-up truck and a 10-wheeler truck when he reportedly overtook the two vehicles in the curved part of the road.

The victim, however, lost control and fell from his motorcycle. He was on his way home from a gig around 1:30 a.m., Vargas said.

Vargas said that truck driver Benny Flor did not stop at first, as he failed to notice that he ran over the victim.

The pick-up truck driver chased Flor from a distance to inform him about the accident, prompting the latter to stop, she added.

Vargas said the victim died on the spot due to severe head injuries.

Vargas said the victim’s family and the truck driver have initially met, but the family has yet to decide whether to file a case or not.

The truck driver is detained at the police station.