Teacher-couple killed in road mishap; suspect released on bail hours later

By: Jennifer P. Rendon 

Two public school teachers were killed in a grisly road mishap morning of June 15, 2019, along B. Aquino Avenue or Diversion in Mandurriao district, Iloilo City.

But concerned citizens are bothered that the driver responsible for the deaths of Alnie Dinah Osano, 36, a teacher of Ticud Elementary School in La Paz district, and her husband, Joe Marie Osano, 45, principal of La Paz 2 Elementary School, might flee after he was released from detention after posting the P60,000 bail.

The Osanos died of massive injuries on their heads, legs, and shoulders.

The couple, who resided at Leofil Subdivision in Barangay Ticud, La Paz, was crossing a pedestrian lane when a Mazda MX5 sports car ran them over.

The driver of the sports car, June Paul Valencia, 32, of 101 Villa Perla Subdivision, Mandurriao, was allegedly unable to evade the couple when he overtook a pick-up truck.

The incident happened at around 6:20 a.m. Saturday as the couple was headed to the Iloilo Esplanade to jog.

Footage from a closed circuit television (CCTV) camera at the scene showed that Alnie and Joe Marie even tried to run away to avoid being hit by the speeding sports car but to no avail.

A witness claimed that the sports car tossed Alnie in the air and she later fell on the pick-up truck. Valencia’s car also dragged Joe Marie some 30 meters from the pedestrian lane.

Alnie was rushed to the nearby Medicus Medical Center while it took a while before medics could bring the visibly lifeless Joe Marie to another hospital.

Valencia tried to flee from the scene but Allan Calunsod, driver of the pick-up truck, chased after him while incessantly honking his horn.

Valencia was later cornered in front of a hotel, several hundred meters from where the incident happened. He abandoned his vehicle, which sustained substantial damage on the right bumper with the headlight missing.

Calunsod subsequently brought him to Mandurriao Police Station.

But Valencia only spent several hours at the lock-up cell of Mandurriao Police Station.

At around 4:45 p.m. of the same day, he was released after posting a P60,000 bail bond for reckless imprudence resulting in damage to property with double homicide.

The order of release stated that Valencia is a resident of Zone 4, Escarilla Subdivision, Barangay Airport, Mandurriao.

Executive Judge Anne Beatrice Aguana-Balmaceda of the Municipal Trial Court in Cities, Iloilo City, signed it.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Efren Lozada, chief of the Iloilo City Police Office-Traffic Enforcement and Investigation Section (ICPO-TEIS), said the suspect has yet to be formally charged.

“We’re still waiting for the victims’ death certificates,” Lozada said Sunday afternoon.

He also explained they could not detain Valencia since the court ordered his release on bail.

“We understand the sentiments of the family but we would be violating a legal order if we would still detain him, despite the issuance of an order of release,” Lozada explained.

He said police would still pursue the case against Valencia through regular filing.