Loose brakes may have caused Bontoc bus crash-LTFRB chair

This unit of the GV Florida Transport Inc fell off a ravine on the morning of Feb. 7, 2014, landing at a small farm in Barangay (village)Talubin, Bontoc town in Mt. Province. The bus came from Manila. The accident killed 14 people, including 2 foreigners and comedian Arvin “Tado” Jimenez whose remains were driven back to Manila on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2014. RICHARD BALONGLONG/Inquirer Northern Luzon

The bus that fell into a ravine in Bontoc, Mountain Province, killing 14 passengers may have had loose brakes that caused the accident. This is according to the preliminary investigation of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

LTFRB chair Winston Ginez quoted the conductor as saying the bus had loose brakes, in a phone interview with INQUIRER.net Saturday.

“According to our preliminary investigation, the bus lost control due to loose brakes,” Ginez said in Filipino.

The LTFRB has ordered a preventive suspension for 30 days on the 228 buses of G.V. Florida Transport after it was found out that the ill-fated bus was issued with a license plate that belonged to another bus to make it appear it could be used as a hired vehicle.

The bus was authorized under the name of Norberto Cue, who had not filed an approval for the sale of the bus to Florida Transport.

Among those killed in the accident were comedian Arvin “Tado” Jimenez, musician David Sicam, visual artist Gerard Baja, and 11 others. Meanwhile, 32 were injured including the driver and the conductor. The conductor was reported to have jumped out of the bus before it lost its brakes and fell off a 100-meter ravine early Friday morning.

The crash came more than a month after a Don Mariano Transit bus fell off the Skyway near Bicutan crashed onto a van below. That accident killed 19, including the bus driver.