Five policemen, including a town police chief, and nine civilians, were injured when the L300 police van they were riding smashed head-on into a tamarind tree, while negotiating a curve along the national highway in Brgy. Tinongan in Isabela, Negros Occidental at about 5 a.m. yesterday.

Initial police investigations showed that Senior Inspector Alexander Munoz, and the four other policemen and nine civilians, among them drama talents of MBC Aksyon Radyo, were on their way home after performing in a fiesta in Brgy. Sikatuna, Isabela. Police Officer 1 Emmanuel Trinidad, Isabela PNP Desk Officer, yesterday said the police vehicle developed mechanical trouble. Human error is also being eyed. Isabela police chief, Munoz whose left leg was fractured in the accident, is now being treated at the Riverside Medical Center in Bacolod City.

The four other policemen-victims were identified as SPO2 Neri Torillo, Isabela deputy police chief, Police Officers 2 Ernie Padilla, Hermogenes Peregrino and Jeoffrey Torcita.

Also injured were police van driver Ephraim Miraflores, MBC Aksyon Radyo drama talents Emelyn Eruna, Reynaldo Kho, Bernardo Cruz, Linilia Gabuat and her 15-year-old daughter, Athena, Lusart Mendoza, Grace Tupaz, Reynante Gentogao and John Flores.

Mendoza, who sustained wounds on his forehead, is now confined at the Bacolod Adventist Medical Center in Brgy. Taculing along with Cruz, Eruna, Tupaz, and the two Gabuats who were reportedly in critical condition.

Flores, 57, of Brgy. 10, Bacolod City and Kho, 48, of Bangga Tutum, Brgy. Bilisa, Bacolod City, were transferred to the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital after being given first aid at the Isabela Hospital.

Flores, sustained a fracture in his left leg and was scheduled for operation, while Co sustained a fracture in his right shoulder.

Trinidad on the other hand said Torilla and Padilla were released from the Ignacio Lacson Arroyo Memorial District Hospital in Isabela after treatment for minor injuries.

Mendoza also complained about pains on the upper part of his torso which he said may have been hit by the butt of the M-16 assault rifle of the policeman beside him.

He told the DAILY STAR yesterday that the four women suffered more injuries because they were seated in the closed compartment of the van intended for arrested law offenders.

He added that Miraflores may have fallen asleep for a split second while driving because he was the lone driver of the vehicle that was used to fetch visitors to the barangay fiesta and he had lacked sleep for several days.

"Nobody even had the chance to scream or say that we were about to crash. There was just a sudden loud bang and then I lost consciousness," Mendoza who has been in the radio broadcasting industry for 26 years, said.

He added that the van was running at about 50-60 kilometers per hour.

He also said, however, that they were driving fast because they were rushing to work and the area they were passing was a possible ambush site.

In an interview over ABS-CBN TV Patrol Negros, the Aksyon Radyo management said they will extend help to their injured staff.

Trinidad said the four M-16 assault rifles of the Isabela police were also damaged, while the van was almost a total wreck.*GPB & PP

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