Crash victims’ kin to bus firm: ‘Is life worth P200,000?’

Nixon Siringan (right), who lost a younger sister in the Feb. 20 bus crash, goes through the painful paperwork at the LTFRB office on Thursday. —Jodee A. Agoncillo

“Is a life worth just P200,000? Panda Coach, this is not yet over. We will not stop until we get justice. We leave your fate to God.”

This was Army  T/Sgt. Nixon Siringan’s reply to representatives of Panda Coach Tours and SCCI Management and Insurance Agency during a meeting on Thursday at the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) office in Quezon City to facilitate the release of benefits to the 15 victims killed in Monday’s road accident in Tanay, Rizal.

Among the fatalities was  Siringan’s younger sister Lovely, an IT freshman at Bestlink College of the Philippines. Of those killed, 13 were students on their way to a camping trip in Tanay.

According to witnesses, the driver of the Panda Coach Tours bus lost control of the vehicle after the brakes failed. The bus crashed into road barriers before hitting an electric post and a tree. The driver, Julian Lacorda Jr., also died of his injuries at a hospital.

As he talked to representatives from the bus company and insurance firm, Siringan— who was accompanied by his brother Pfc. Casiano—could not contain his anger and frustration especially when he was asked to show  proof of his relationship to Lovely who would have turned 28 years old this weekend. She had voluntarily stopped her schooling to work abroad to finance her siblings’ studies.

Siringan tapped the desk loudly with a clenched fist and stood up after sitting silently for a few minutes. As he walked away, he said to no one in particular, “Never mind, you are making it seem like we’re the ones begging. Even if we’re poor, we will get through this.”

When his younger brother tried to convince him to stay and just submit the requirements, Siringan told him: “No. We will not claim the money.”

However, Archie Ropa of the SCCI said  Siringan’s brother returned later in the day to claim the benefits for his sister.

According to the claimant, they needed the money to transport Lovely’s body to Isabela province this morning. Ropa added.

Bong Tandoc, SCCI vice president for finance, said  they would be releasing to the families of the 15 fatalities the initial amount of P50,000 each out of the P200,000 all-in insurance coverage.

The remaining amount would be given within five days or after the submission of requirements, he added.

For those who were injured, the company will give a medical reimbursement of P20,000 each.

“We really can’t put a value on life. But we will follow the law,” Tandoc said, pointing out that the maximum insurance coverage in case of death is P200,000 and P20,000 for medical reimbursements in case of injuries. “Anything beyond that is already up to Bestlink or Panda,” he told reporters.

P50k from school

Ailyn Lizada, LTFRB board member, said  Bestlink already gave P50,000 in funeral benefits to the families of the 15 victims. This is on top of the  P30,000 assistance from Panda Coach and P50,000 in benefits from Paramount, another insurance company.

Following the accident, 47 of the 62 bus passengers were taken for treatment to different hospitals, including Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center, Tanay General Hospital and Rizal Provincial Hospital.

Bong Bati of the Tanay Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office said that four remain confined: Mark Barcelona who has been listed in critical condition at Amang Rodriguez and three others at the Philippine Orthopedic Center.

Bati said the social welfare development office also gave five families P5,000 in burial assistance and 11 others a transportation allowance of P3,000.

Another claimant expressed frustration when she learned that the funeral assistance extended by Bestlink Colleges might be deducted from the P200,000 they stand to get as death benefits.

In response, Bestlink’s secretary to the president Nina Baquinez said she would bring the matter up with the school board.

As of 5 p.m., Ropa said that the families of 11 of the victims had each received P130,000 in assistance (P50,000 from SCCI, P50,000 from Paramount and P30,000 from Panda).

The mother of Mary Rose Vidal, one of the students injured in the accident, complained that when they asked the bus company for money to have her ailing daughter undergo further tests, they were turned down.

According to Jonalyn Martirez of Panda Coach Tours, they could only reimburse the expenses of the injured. She advised mother and daughter, who were both crying, to go to a public hospital.

“Mom, let’s go,” Mary Rose told her mother. Martirez tried to give them money out of her pocket but the older Vidal refused to take it.

“Thank you but we can still pay for our fare,” she said.

Bernie Panagsagan, legal counsel for Panda Coach Tours, said those who were confined for injuries could transfer to public hospitals.

“We know that some of them will undergo long-term treatment. If they can, they should transfer to a government hospital,” he added.

Lizada said a hearing on the case had been scheduled for Feb. 28 to determine if there were any violations committed by the bus company. –By: Jodee A. Agoncillo