Atimonan bus-truck collision survivor says thieves took passengers' valuables

A survivor in the collision between a bus and a truck on Monday night in Atimonan, Quezon said some thieves took passengers' valuables instead of helping them.

"Bumalik ulit ako ng bus para kunin ang mga gamit ko. Pag-akyat ko sa bus, meron nang mga hindi pasahero, may mga nakahubad na lalaki. Hinahalungkay 'yung, 'yung iba naghahalungkay ng bag. 'Yung isa nakakuha ng dalawang pitaka. Pinasok niya sa bulsa niya... Imbes na tumulong eh ninakawan pa kami ng pera, pagkain," said Izen Maghiran, a passenger of the Elavil AMV Travel and Tours bus, in a report by Cecille Villarosa on GMA News' Unang Balita on Tuesday.

According to the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, the theft was done by people who were not from Atimonan. The local government unit and the Philippine National Police are already conducting an investigation into the matter.

The Bicol-bound bus collided into a Manila-bound 10-wheeler cargo truck on Diversion Road in Barangay Sta. Catalina. Three people died—the truck driver and his assistant and a bus passenger. Seventy-three were hurt.

Rescuers worked almost the whole night to bring out everyone from the two vehicles.

Police investigation showed that the bus' brakes failed before crashing onto the truck.

"Sa pag-iimbestiga namin, may kausap kaming mga pasahero du'n ng bus. Mula pa lang sa Manila pumapalya na ang bus na 'yun... Noong siya daw ay nag-overtake ay nag-lose control. Tapos ay nagkataon naman mayroong parating ng truck. Nagkasalpukan," Police Major Michael Encio, chief of the Atimonan Police, said.

The bus driver, Maximo Leorigo, has been placed under police custody.

"Doon pa lang po sa taas, mababa na ang hangin ng preno ng aking bus," he said, adding that a different driver drove the bus earlier.

Meanwhile, the surviving bus passengers appealed to the bus company for assistance.

Many of them have not yet eaten since Monday night. Some of them brought only just enough cash for their trip when the accident happened.

The injured passengers brought to hospitals are already in stable condition except for a few who are still under observation due to head trauma.

As of posting time, no representative of the bus company has arrived yet in Atimonan.

GMA News has reached out to the bus company for comment as of posting time. —With a report from Peewee Bacuño/KG, GMA News