In the wee hours of November 17, three nurses died and two others were injured after their van was crushed by a sport utility vehicle (SUV) driven by a man allegedly intoxicated during the mishap.
The driver, identified as Luis Asistio III, was driving a Mitsubishi Montero Sport on the southward lane of C-5 when the SUV rammed into the center island, flew into the air and landed on the van on the opposite lane. The victims—Lyn Pascua, 39; Rose Ann Azucena Oquendo, 23; and Janine Ray Manzanida—were all pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital, while Jacklyn Mae Terrado and Bubbles Lapu-os were hurt.
The nurses were on their way home from their duty at Salve Regina Hospital in Pasig City. According to initial news reports, Asistio has yet to be tested for alcohol after rescuers found liquor bottles in his vehicle.
This latest drunk driving accident is of greater national interest, following the recent passage into law of Republic Act No. 10586 or the Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Act on May 27, 2013.
Below are just a few of the accidents and developments in law enforcement that made the news in recent years.
April 11, 2014
A 22-year-old motorcycle rider is charged with drunk driving and driving without a helmet after the police on patrol spot the offender, Christian Canlapan, having problems controlling his bike without a helmet on Ilocos Norte Street in Bago Bantay, Quezon City. He eventually ends up behind bars even after attempting to bluff his way out of the mess by claiming to be the nephew of a police official.
March 24, 2013
Five people are injured after a car of a driver, who confessed to being drunk, collides with another on the northbound stretch of Edsa in Mandaluyong City. Driver Abner Rintoria manages to escape from the hands of the investigators, but is charged with reckless imprudence resulting in physical injuries and damage to property.
March 1, 2013
Parañaque City Mayor Florencio Bernabe Jr. signs an order spelling out the IRR of a city ordinance penalizing drunk driving. In line with this, the Automobile Association of the Philippines donates three units of breath analyzers that the city police can use in apprehending drunk drivers.
January 21, 2013
A woman dies on the spot after falling off a speeding motorcycle and getting run over by a passenger bus on Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City. Police say that the driver, her live-in partner, lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the rear of the bus, causing the woman to fall on the road. Commonwealth Ave. is known as a “killer highway,” since a high incidence rate of casualties due to vehicular accidents occur there.
October 13, 2012
Actress-TV host Alyssa Alano is reported to be in serious condition after her SUV rams into a center island before hitting a metal fence along Marcos Highway in Marikina City while allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol.
Six other people are also hurt after Alano’s car veers into the opposite lane and hits a sedan. Alano, whose real name is Geramie Daud, later denies that she drove under the influence, but police say they found a beer bottle in her vehicle while rescuers also report that her breath smelled of alcohol. The police add that Alano would also be held liable for damaging the fence owned by the MMDA on Marcos Highway.
October 10, 2012
An inebriated motorist is arrested after trying to overtake President Aquino’s convoy on Nagtahan Bridge near Malacañang. Police say that Marc Jason Hanopol swerved into the lane of the presidential convoy and stopped right behind the President’s car. Hanopol is later charged with reckless driving, driving under the influence of alcohol, and obstructing traffic, following a failed alcohol breath test conducted by the police.
February 18, 2012
An MMDA personnel suffered head wounds and bruises after about 30 “drag racers” gang up on the traffic enforcer, who tried to break up their risky, often alcohol-fueled sport on Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard in Pasay City. MMDA Chair Francis Tolentino says the racers, who were apparently drunk, immediately fled after the incident. Tolentino adds that drivers and other participants usually have a drink at gasoline stations.
Sept. 16, 2011
Makati City imposes stiffer fines and penalties for drunk driving. The new ordinance provides for the impounding of vehicles of those who will be caught driving motor vehicles under the influence of liquor or drugs, on top of the P2,500 fine and/or imprisonment prescribed by the 2003 Traffic Code for the first offense.
January 16, 2010
Nineteen people are killed when the truck they are riding hits a boulder and overturns several times on a downhill road in Vincenzo Sagun town in Zamboanga del Sur. Police investigators say that the driver, Paulito Hedoquio, had a drinking spree at a wedding attended by the passengers the night before. Charges of reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide and serious physical injuries are later filed against the driver and the truck owner.
July 13, 2009
Two men are arrested for stealing a vehicle after they broke into a garage in SSS Village, Marikina City. Christian Alcala, 27, and Ronnie Mortera, 22, were reportedly drunk during the incident. The police said that upon leaving the garage, they accidentally hit a parked car, causing a lot of noise and waking up the neighborhood. The two then sped toward a neighboring barangay and hit a post in Marikina Heights.
Compiled by Kathleen de Villa, Inquirer Research; Sources: Inquirer Archives, gov.ph
