Kin of SCTEX crash victims seek P130M in damages
The families of the victims of the deadly Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) crash in Tarlac filed civil cases on Friday against Pangasinan Solid North Transit Inc. bus company (Solid North) and its bus driver, seeking a total of P130 million in damages.
Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon accompanied the family of Jonjon and Daina Janica Alinas at the Quezon City Hall of Justice where they filed a civil case that seeks P50 million in damages to address the loss of income, moral and exemplary damages caused by the Solid North bus crash on May 1.
Dizon likewise joined the families of the other victims when they filed a civil case at a court in Antipolo City for P80 million in damages.
Ten people, including four children, were killed and 37 others were injured during the multiple-vehicle crash at the Tarlac City toll plaza of SCTEx.
In an interview at the Office of the Clerk of Court in Antipolo City, Dizon said the bus crash was “unacceptable” and “preventable.”
“That’s why President Marcos ordered us to help the families until its end, until they receive justice,” he said.
In addition to helping the families acquire a lawyer in filing the civil cases, Mr. Marcos is also seeking “sweeping reforms” to ensure that similar incidents do not happen again, such as increasing the insurance coverage of public utility vehicles (PUV) to be more in line with private vehicles.
“We will have more reforms based on the directive of the President. And we will take care of the bereaved families who are having a hard time after the road crash,” Dizon said.
He reminded all bus companies that profiting from public conveyance is a privilege granted by the government but it comes with responsibilities.
“They have a great responsibility for the welfare and safety of the public. Not just passengers, but other road users,” he said.
To date, he said the Solid North bus driver in the incident is out on bail but his license has been permanently revoked.
“He won’t be able to drive for the rest of his life. And he will need to answer for this incident, so does Solid North,” he said.
The bus driver involved has since tested negative for illegal drugs, while Solid North was slapped with a 30-day suspension.
