Doctor in EDSA accident suffered broken neck before fiery death, autopsy shows

MANILA, Philippines – An autopsy on the remains of Dr Francisco Sarabia has concluded that the victim suffered a broken neck when his car was bumped from behind by a speeding Joanna Jesh bus on EDSA Tuesday, GMA News reported Friday. Sarabia’s car went up in flames soon after the impact. A female occupant of the car was rescued but the doctor was trapped and charred to death. The victim’s brother, Dr Joel Sarabia, told GMA News’ Connie Sison Friday that authorities have conducted the autopsy and the family has received the report. “Autopsy shows that the back portion, the nape portion, was really…fractured so by that incident he [was unconscious]," Joel said. People who rushed to the scene failed to pull Sarabia out of the burning wreckage due to intense heat. Meanwhile, the driver of the “killer" Joanna Jesh bus Martinito Madrid showed remorse after spending four days in detention as he asked for the forgiveness of the Sarabia family. In a separate interview with GMA News’ Ivan Mayrina aired on primetime newscast 24 Oras, Madrid also appealed to the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to reconsider its suspension order on the bus company. “’Wag nyo sanang alisan ng lisensiya dahil kawawa naman lalong lalo na yung pagmamaneho lang ang alam na trabaho," Madrid asked. (Please do not revoke their licenses; driving is their only means of earning a living.) Madrid said he is hoping the bus company would help him raise the money for his temporary liberty. He is facing charges of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide, multiple physical injuries and damage to property. Investigation showed that Madrid was trying to race with another Joanna Jesh bus (Amtrak Transport) but in the process, he bumped Sarabia’s car. The same television report said the owner of the bus company has filed a motion at the Land Transportation Franchises and Regulatory Board contesting the suspension order issued last Wednesday. The owner said LTO ignored due process when it stopped all Joanna Jesh bus units from plying their routes. “The premature issuance of the order or suspension is a clear deprivation of the respondents-movants’ constitutional right to due process," the motion said. It added: “The alleged recklessness of the driver of a passenger bus…cannot be an accurate basis for the baseless inference that all the other drivers are reckless." But LTO chairman Thompson Lantion disagreed saying, “It is the inherent power of the regulatory body to impose immediately actions to protect the riding public." The LTFRB has set the hearing on the suspension order on Wednesday next week. LTO Assistant Secretary Alberto Suansing, meanwhile, said all drivers of Joanna and Amtrak must undergo driving examination to weed out unqualified for the job. - Fidel Jimenez, GMANews.TV