TWO persons, including a five-year-old girl, were killed and four others were injured when a black Ford Everest plowed into a group of people at the entrance of the departure area of Terminal 1 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) yesterday.
The driver of the SUV, a man in an orange shirt who has yet to be identified as of press time, was taken into custody, his license suspended for 90 days.
The girl and the other fatal victim, a 29-year-old man, were not identified. Other reports said the girl was four years old and the man was 28.
The four injured, including a four-year-old girl, were taken to a nearby hospital. They were not identified.
A report from the PNP Aviation Security Group said the incident occurred around 8 a.m. at the departure west curbside area of the NAIA-Terminal 1.
Before the incident, police said the driver of the Ford Everest dropped off a passenger. Police said the driver later started his vehicle and was about to leave.
“At that moment, a sedan suddenly passed in front of him, causing him to forget to transfer his foot to the brake pedal, which resulted in his vehicle striking (hitting) several people who were standing in the said area,” the report said.
Airport authorities said the SUV crashed through the outer railing and into the walkway near the entrance.
Images on social media showed some people lying on the ground. Glass was shattered across the entrance and the front of the SUV was damaged after hitting the airport doors.
New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) president Ramon Ang has committed to provide immediate assistance to the victims.
While an investigation is ongoing, Ang said he will personally shoulder the medical expenses of the four individuals who were injured and provide financial assistance to the families of the dead.
“This is a very tragic incident. Our priority now is to make sure the victims and their families receive the support and care they need,” Ang said.
“We understand the concern this incident has caused, especially as images have circulated on social media. We urge the public not to speculate and to wait for verified updates, which will be issued as soon as they become available,” NAIA said in a statement.
The incident happened three days after a passenger bus, whose driver apparently fell asleep, caused a five-vehicle smash-up at the SCTEX toll booth in Tarlac that left 10 people dead, including six kids.
DOTR RESPONDS
The Department of Transportation, through the Land Transportation Office (LTO), suspended the license of the driver for 90 days.
Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said in a statement that emergency teams responded to the incident swiftly, securing the area and ensuring the safety of other passengers.
The DOTr, along with the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) and law enforcement agencies, is conducting a full and impartial investigation, including reviewing all CCTV footage and subjecting the driver to a drug test.
LTO chief assistant secretary Vigor Mendoza II said the agency issued a show cause order against the registered owner of the SUV and driver, adding the latter was asked to surrender his driver’s license.
“First, I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to the family of the two persons who died as a result of this unfortunate accident. Talagang nakakalungkot ang balitang ito dahil kasama sa nasawi ay isang bata na anak ng isa nating kababayan OFW (This is saddening because one of the fatalities is the daughter of an OFW),” said Mendoza.
“We already issued an SCO asking both the registered owner and the driver to appear before our office and explain the incident as part of our investigation,” he added.
In a statement, the Department of Health (DOH) said it is aiding the victims via the agency’s Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP).
“We assure you that any victims of the collision may be admitted to a DOH hospital,” said Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, adding that at least two injured were taken to a nearby private hospital for emergency management.
They are expected to be transferred to another private facility for further trauma care, he also said.
“Our Health Emergency Management Bureau (HEMB) continues to focus on helping the victims of the incident,” he added.
The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) said it immediately mobilized five ambulances and 18 volunteers to the accident site.
RENEWED CALL
Sen. Grace Poe renewed her call for the creation of a Philippine Transportation Safety Board (PTSB), which will be solely in charge of investigating transportation-related accidents or incidents in air, land, sea, railways, and pipe systems.
“We reiterate our call for the creation of a Philippine Transportation Safety Board…The alarming statistics of road mishaps and fatalities call for the implementation of proactive measures to reduce, if not totally curb, the accidents,” Poe said in a statement.
“These cases may be accidents, but many accidents can be prevented or mitigated through proactive measures,” she added.
Poe refiled the proposed measure to create the PTSB in the present 19th Congress.
Senate Bill No. 1121 or an Act Creating the Philippine Transportation Safety Board is pending on second reading.
The proposed PTSB shall be an independent and non-regulatory body attached to the Office of the President. The PTSB will have an initial budget of P50 million, part of which will be allocated for the Transportation Safety Fund to support accident investigations, research, and personnel training.
The body will be composed of seven full-time members, each representing various transportation sectors, as well as two members from the commuting public and road safety advocacy groups.
Its primary duties include assessing the causes of accidents, maintaining nationwide data, proposing safety standards, and submitting annual reports to the President and Congress.
“The aim is simple. Let’s stop treating these tragedies as isolated incidents and start learning from them so fewer Filipino families suffer the same fate,” she said. – With Reuters, Myla Iglesias, Gerard Naval and Raymond Africa
