The Land Transportation Office (LTO) on Tuesday said it had 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, resulting in the death of three people, and injury to 17 others.

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

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

Citing the initial result of the investigation, the passenger bus was traveling southbound along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City on Monday when the vehicle lost its brakes.

As a result, it rammed the motorcycles and at least two motor vehicles, a sedan, and a van, which caused serious injuries to 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, who is identified as Rolly Canapi Pascua.

Mendoza said the cases filed by the police are separate from the charges that the LTO would prepare based on the investigation’s result.

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

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