MALACAÑANG on Thursday offered sympathy to the families and friends of victims who died in a bus accident in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro last Tuesday.
In a Palace briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. asked the media to pause for a prayer for the victims of the road mishap.
“The Palace expresses its deep sympathies to the victims to their families and friends,” Roque said.
Roque also urged bus drivers to observe extra caution when plying their respective routes especially as more people were expected to visit their provinces during the Holy Week and summer vacation.
“We appeal to all, especially bus drivers, to observe extra caution especially as Holy Week and summer break is fast approaching where more of our citizens are expected to visit their respective provinces,” Roque said in Tagalog.
Roque, meanwhile, said the Palace would await results of the investigation to find out whether officers of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board were also at fault for their negligence.
“Let’s wait for the result of the investigation. If there are negligent government employees involved, there will surely be someone sacked,” Roque said.
Roque, however, assured that justice for the victims’ families and friends would be served.
“At present, we are sending our sympathies to the family of those deceased. We will reach the point where justice will be served to those who died in the accident,” Roque said.
To date, the LTFRB has grounded 10 buses of Dimple Star Bus after one of the company’s units figured in an accident that killed 19 people in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro.
The LTFRB has directed Dimple Star to inspect and determine the roadworthiness of its buses and for its drivers and conductors to undergo road safety seminar during the effectivity of the suspension order.
The LTFRB, meanwhile, assured that financial assistance would be provided to the victims.
“For the deceased that are single, their birth certificate and ID of the parents should be submitted. For those who are married, the marriage certificate and ID of the surviving spouse should be filed. They need to submit these documents in order to fast track the release of the financial assistance,” LTFRB board member Aileen Lizada said in a text message to reporters.