Jeep involved in deadly La Union crash had no franchise – LTFRB

The jeep involved in the Agoo-La Union crash, in which 20 people were killed, was being operated without a franchise, GMA News TV program "State of the Nation with Jessica Soho" reported on Tuesday.

Based on Land Transportation Office (LTO) and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) records, a certain Ronald Ducusin owned the jeep.

Ducusin, an employee of the San Fernando City Administrator's Office, owned a total of three jeeps, two of which had franchises.

The LTFRB has since issued a preventive suspension order on the operations of Ducusin's two remaing jeeps. A show cause order would also be sent to him.

The LTFRB has warned the public against riding such "colorum" vehicles.

"Siguraduhin po nila na may prangkisa ito kasi kung may prangkisa po ito, in case something happens, sagot po ng insurance," said LTFRB-Region I officer-in-charge Attorney Anabel Marzan-Nullar.

Ducusin, meanwhile, has not contacted any of the victims' families.

Some nine of those who survived the crash but were injured, were still in hospital. Some four of those injured were children.

Ducusin's jeep was taking an extended family to a dawn church service on Christmas Day when it was involved in a head-on collision with a Partas Bus in Agoo.

The LTFRB had earlier issued 30-day preventive suspension order on seven Partas bus units after the bus company failed to submit the dash cam footage and GPS tracking data of the crash. — Anna Felicia Bajo/DVM, GMA News