Bus driver in Simbulan death: Another bus responsible

After an ocular inspection at the scene of the incident, the camp of the bus driver linked to the death of journalist-professor Chit Estella-Simbulan last May 13 claimed on Sunday to have evidence that he was not the culprit of the smashup. Salvador Panelo, lawyer of bus driver Daniel Espinosa, said the evidence showed it was another bus that hit the taxi Estella-Simbulan was in. Espinosa and Panelo on Sunday went to the scene of the incident to gather pieces of evidence. “Lumalabas sa ocular inspection namin na isang bus ng Nova company ang unang bumunggo sa taxi. Mapatutunayan yan kung titingnan mo ang bus na dala ni Espinosa very slight ang damage. Ibig sabihin iba ang bumangga doon," Panelo, who was accompanied by Espinosa, said in an interview on dzBB radio. (Our ocular inspection showed another bus, one belonging to Nova, was the first to hit the taxi. The bus driven by Espinosa sustained very slight damage, which means another bus rammed the taxi.) Panelo also insisted the skid marks at the scene of the incident showed the Nova bus, and not the one driven by his client, hit the taxi. “Masyadong klaro ang physical evidence [The physical evidence is very clear]," he said. For his part, Espinosa apologized to Estella-Simbulan’s family last Friday. On Saturday, he had said he was willing to face charges of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide and damage of property against him. But on Sunday, when asked if he was not the one that hit the taxi carrying Simbulan, Espinosa said, “Nova po (It was the Nova bus)." Estella-Simbulan was killed after a bus rammed the taxi she was riding Friday evening, May 13. An initial police investigation showed that a bus had sideswiped the taxi before the “Universal Guiding Star" – bus driven by Espinosa – rammed the cab from behind. Espinosa fled immediately after the incident. He surfaced before midnight last Friday in Davao City, turning himself in to Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. He was brought to Metro Manila shortly after midnight Saturday and was a “guest" at the Quezon City Police District headquarters at Camp Karingal. — MRT/LBG, GMA News