23 hurt as bus falls off cliff in Cotabato — police

KIDAPAWAN CITY — Twenty-three passengers, most of them ambulant vendors and farmers, were injured when the mini-bus carrying them fell off a cliff along the Arakan Valley Complex Highway in President Roxas town in Cotabato Tuesday morning. Chief Inspector Benjamin Rioflorido, municipal police chief, said most of those injured were rushed to the nearby New Cebu District Hospital in Barangay New Cebu, about four kilometers away from the crash site. They were:

Luzviminda Sumugat, Poblacion, President Roxas, North Cotabato;

Dexter Van Gajaldo, 17, Barangay Labu-o, President Roxas, NCotabato;

Antonio Gajaldo, 19, Barangay Labu-o, President Roxas, NCotabato;

John Rey Palmera, 24, Barangay Pag-asa, M'lang, NCotabato;

Ireneo Carnaje, 32, Barangay Naje, Arakan, NCotabato;

Alex Abunola, 42, Poblacion, Arakan, NCotabato;

Rene Magdan, 55, Barangay Birada, Kidapawan City;

Sunnylou Purisima, 15, Barangay Malatab, Antipas, NCotabato;

Joseph Fuentes, 34, Kidapawan City;

Gilbert Yee, 33, Bansalan, Davao del Sur;

Sonia Parcon, 21, Kidapawan City;

Jason Celgas, 10, Barangay New Cebu, President Roxas, NCotabato;

Rosemarie Chiva, 49, Poblacion, Magpet;

Ruth Matthias,38, Barangay Binoongan, Arakan, NCotabato;

Leonar Neri, 20, Barangay New Cebu, President Roxas, NCotabato;

Lucia Amlon, 45, Barangay Taguranao, Matalam, NCotabato; and

Jocelyn Limbat, 43, Barangay New Cebu, President Roxas, NCotabato. Five were taken to the Kidapawan Medical Specialist Center in this city:

Melrose Reyes, 39, Barangay Luhong, Antipas, NCotabato

Paul Barrete, 19, Barangay New Bohol, Kidapawan City

Elena Gersaba, 70, Barangay Datu Selo, Magpet, NCotabato

Jimaima Gallardo, 17, Kidapawan City; and

Anita Canonigo. Meanwhile, one was taken to the North Cotabato Provincial Hospital in Amas also in this city: Bitoy Primitivo. Joel Pareja, one of the passengers, said the driver tried to maneuver a very hilly portion of the road but lost its brakes and plunged on a 30-foot cliff. Pareja said the mini-bus was fully loaded. Aside from heavy cargoes, the bus was carrying 30 passengers, he said. "While we were on our way to Arakan town, the driver picked up passengers even if the bus was already loaded. One of the passengers even told the driver not to pick up passengers anymore," Pareja said. The driver has voluntarily surrendered to President Roxas PNP, according to reports. Among the disaster response units that rushed to the crash site were members of the Philippine Red Cross Kidapawan sub-chapter and Kidapawan City Emergency Response Unit. — Malu Cadelina Manar/RSJ, GMANews.TV