BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO
ILOILO City – An eight-year-old boy crossing the street and the barangay tanod assisting him were hit by a speeding passenger jeepney in Barangay Botong-Cabanbanan, Oton, Iloilo yesterday noon.
The victims were identified as John Michael Andrade and Petronilo Mandal, 44, both of the said village.
Andrade died on the spot due to a serious head injury while Mandal died minutes later at the Iloilo Doctors’ Hospital.
The incident happened around 12:30 p.m. while Mandal, who was directing vehicular traffic, was crossing the road together with Andrade, a Grade II pupil, when a passenger jeepney hit them, said Senior Police Officer 3 Danilo Noca, Oton police spokesperson.
The driver of the jeepney plying the route of San Joaquin-Iloilo was identified as Loreto Calubiran, 44, of Anini-y, Antique.
Calubiran admitted to the police that he drove so fast that he failed to stop immediately.
Passengers from the jeepney were all safe.
Calubiran is now detained at the Oton police station. His passenger jeepney was impounded./PN
