Police release bus driver in beauty queen’s death

Due to a technicality, the driver of a bus that killed 2009 Binibining Pilipinas International titlist Melody Gersbach in Bicol on August 21 has been released from custody. Radio dzBB on Friday reported that police in Bula town in Camarines Sur province said the charges against Wilson Fontillas were filed after the 36-hour period when they can keep him detained. “Yung driver ... kung na-file ng kaso through inquest, may authority ang pulis sa kanya i-hold sa istasyon. Pero normal filing [ang nangyari] dahil kinapos sa oras ang relatives ng biktima, di agad nakunan ng statement," assistant investigator PO2 Paul Paloma said in an interview on dzBB radio. (If we had filed charges within the 36-hour detention period against the driver, we would have had basis to keep him. But what happened was the charges were filed through normal procedure because the relatives were not able to immediately give their statements.) He said that since they had no more basis to detain Fontillas after the 36-hour period, they were forced to release him. Fontillas was the driver of a bus that hit a vehicle Gersbach was riding in Bula town last August 21. Gersbach and two others were killed. Dina Dominguez, a spokeswoman for the Gersbach family, said Melody’s relatives could not immediately attend to the case as they were making arrangements for her funeral at the time. “Anong uunahin mo? Ang mommy niya had to drive to Bicol, unahin ang ano ng anak, mara-rattle kung uunahin mo (What will you prioritize? Her mother had to drive all the way to Bicol. If you attended to the case at the time, you would get rattled)," she said. — LBG, GMANews.TV