LTO issues show cause order vs bus driver, owner in QC road mishap

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) on Tuesday said it has issued a Show Cause Order (SCO) against the driver and the owner of the passenger bus that rammed a UV Express, a taxi cab and several motorcycles that resulted to the death of three people and injury to 17 others.

LTO Chief, Assistant Secretary Atty. Vigor Mendoza II said the same SCO informed the driver and owner of the passenger bus that the driver's license of the bus driver was already preventively suspended for 90 days while the Nissan Bus with plate no. TXY 610 was placed under alarm.

"We are already conducting a thorough investigation into the matter and part of this investigation is the summon sent to the driver and registered owner of the passenger bus to appear before the probe team of the LTO," Mendoza said.

Citing the initial result of the investigation, the passenger bus was travelling southbound on Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City on Monday, 29 April, when the vehicle suffered loss of brakes.

As a result, it rammed the motorcycles and at least two motor vehicles, a sedan and a van, which inflicted serious injuries on the drivers and passengers.

Several passengers of the bus were also injured.

On the other hand, at least three people were declared dead, one of them was a motorcycle rider while the two were passengers of a van.

The local police are now preparing appropriate criminal charges against the bus driver identified by the police as Rolly Canapi Pascua.

Mendoza said the cases filed by the police are separate from the charges that would be prepared by the LTO based on the result of the investigation.

In the SCO signed by LTO-National Capital Region Director Roque Verzosa III, the driver and the registered owner of the bus are facing various administrative cases that include reckless driving, operating a motor vehicle with defective equipment, and improper person to operate a vehicle.

Both the driver and registered owner were tasked to appear before the LTO-NCR office on 9 May with their written and notarized explanation on the incident.

"Failure to appear and submit the notarized affidavits at the above-stated time, day, and place shall be construed as a waiver to be heard and controvert the allegations against you, leaving this Office to resolve the case administratively based on the available records," the SCO read.