Family of dead teacher not filing charges yet against driver: police
The family of a public school teacher who died in the bus accident in Orani, Bataan on Saturday will not yet be filing charges against the driver, the head of the local police said Sunday.
In an interview with dzBB, Major Larry Valencia, police chief of Orani, said the family of Janice Pontillas, the victim, would wait for her husband to come home before discussing with the driver, identified as Marcelino Oliva.
“Yesterday, the representatives of DepEd (Department of Education), as well as the family and siblings of Ma’am Janice were here (at the police station),” Valencia said.
“They talked (to Oliva and the conductor) and informed the PNP (Philippine National Police) that they will not yet file a case against them. Instead, they will wait for the husband of Ma’am Janice to come home on Tuesday to talk about the accident that happened,” he added.
Valencia said around 26 people were injured and they were released after they were given first aid treatment.
The accident happened due to a “mechanical failure” where the brakes of the bus suddenly malfunctioned, Valencia said over dzBB.
According to Valencia, Oliva was surprised when he could not control the brakes.
Oliva had apologized to Pontilla’s husband when he talked to him through a video chat on Saturday.
Valencia said that Pontilla’s husband had decided to allow Oliva to be temporarily released from prison.
Based on a police report, a bus carrying 48 passengers fell into a ravine in Orani on Saturday morning.
The passengers included teachers from different schools in Quezon City.
The teachers were on their way home from a seminar held at Sinagtala Resort when the accident happened at Barangay Tala.
