1 week ago
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ILOILO CITY — The driver of the overloaded jeepney that figured in a road mishap on Black Saturday in Miagao, Iloilo, was operating the vehicle without a valid driver's license, the Land Transportation Office Region 6 (LTO-6) said on Monday.
The LTO-6 said the driver — identified as 36-year-old Robert Aloquin Alemania of Barangay Baong, Alimodian, Iloilo — was found to be in possession of a student permit issued in August 2014, which expired in 2015.
LTO-6 records show that he was never issued a nonprofessional or professional driver's license, rendering him unauthorized to drive at the time of the incident.
The crash, which occurred on Saturday morning in Barangay Dingle, Miagao, left several passengers injured.
Contrary to earlier reports that the jeepney was carrying 57 passengers, the Miagao Police Station said the vehicle was transporting 70 people, including the driver.
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Some of the passengers sat on the roof, police said.
Sixty-two passengers were treated as outpatients, while eight remain confined in hospitals.
The police said the vehicle lost balance while navigating a sharp curve and tipped to its side.
Tanya Lynne Diestro, legal officer of LTO-6, said Alemania will face a P3,000 fine for driving without a valid license, a violation of the Joint Administrative Order 2014-01.
The driver will also have an additional P1,000 penalty for allowing passengers on prohibited parts of the vehicle.
Diestro said Alemania could face a one-year disqualification from obtaining a driver's license.
The LTO also cited provisions from Republic Act (RA) 4136, or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code, and RA 10930, allowing the revocation or suspension of driving privileges for those found to have endangered public safety, even in the absence of criminal charges.
Meanwhile, Maria Fe Gayamo, the registered owner of the jeepney involved in the accident, was also issued a separate show cause order.
The LTO-6 reminded her of the Registered Owner Rule, which holds vehicle owners vicariously liable for accidents involving their vehicles.
Both Alemania and Gayamo were given five days to respond to the show cause orders, or risk having their names and the vehicle placed on alarm status in the LTO system.
Alemania visited the LTO-6 office on Tuesday.
