Jeepney in fatal Agoo crash was borrowed for free, owner claims

The owner of the jeepney that crashed into a bus in Agoo, La Union said he had lent his vehicle to the driver for free, claiming he didn't know that passengers were being charged for the trip.

In a report by Saleema Refran on 24 Oras on Wednesday, Ronald Ducusin said he though the driver Rolando Perez would use the jeepney to transport family to Manaoag.

"Hiramin niya ma'am, papunta sila ng Manaoag. Yung mga karga niya, kamag-anak nila, paalam niya sa akin. Wala akong natanggap na bayad," said Ducusin, who promised to give aid to the victims.

But Perez' mother Zoraida Perez said Ducusin knew that her son was going to charge the 28 passengers of the jeep for their trip to the Our Lady of Manaoag church.

"Kasi alam ko, kapag nanghihiram ng jeep diyan may bayad talaga, inaarkila. Kaya hindi ako naniniwala na walang alam yung may-ari," Mrs. Perez said.

Stella Garlejo, Perez' mother-in-law, insisted that the driver had not been drinking.

"Hindi siya nakainom dahil yung mga kapatid ko, pinapainom siya pero ayaw niya, kasi magbiyabiyahe ako ng malayo sabi niya. Sanay sa puyat yun dahil may sound system pa sila, 24 hours pa siyang 'di natutulog," Garlejo said.

Perez and 19 others were killed after he allegedly drove into the opposite lane to overtake a vehicle and crashed headfirst into a Partas Bus unit.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has suspended the operations of Ducusin's two remaining jeeps after it was discovered that the jeep involved in the accident operated without a franchise.

A 30-day preventative suspension was also ordered by the LTFRB on the seven bus units of Partas Bus for their failure to submit the dash cam footage and GPS tracking data of the bus.

Partas Bus has since submitted the required footage and items to the LTFRB.

The local government of La Union and Bauang has vowed to pay for the funeral and hospital expenses of the victims.

Eighteen of the 20 victims are currently laid out at the basketball court of Barangay Pilar in Bauang except for Perez, who was delivered to his mother's home at Barangay Paringao.

The deceased include:

• Florence Cabueñas
• Pepito Antolin y Rendon
• Cecil Antolin y Ramirez
• Mark JersonCabero
• Rolando Perez y Abenes
• Vicky Cabagbag y Aquino
• Jeraldine Cabradilla y Ramirez
• Kennedy Cabagbag
• Kyle Cabagbag - 6 months old
• Anna Karina Ramiscal - minor
• Claudia Cabradilla y Ramirez - minor
• Jeffrey Cabradilla y Sabado
• Nadine Joy Cabueñas – minor
• Norin Ivy Cabueñas - minor
• Neil Ivan Cabueñas - minor
• Manuelito Lomboy Jr
• Claudine Cabradilla y Ramirez
• Adila Antolin
• Vergie Antolin y Ramirez

—Rie Takumi/JST, GMA News