BONTOC, Mountain Province – A woman died while three others were injured after the private vehicle they were riding fell off the ravine approximately 20 meters deep at Lengwa, Barangay Mainit, Bontoc, Mountain Province on April 13, 2022.
The casualty who was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician was identified as Estefania Padcayan, 58 years old, and a resident of Barangay Mainit, Bontoc, Mountain Province.
The three injured were Rosa Ridao, 71, and Kenneth Sokoken, 47, driver of the vehicle and both are residents of Barangay Maligcong, Bontoc, Mountain Province and Annie Pag-ang, 36, also of Barangay Mainit.
Ridao and Sokoken were given clearance by the attending physician to be out of the hospital with medications while Pag-ang refused to be referred to the hospital.
Bontoc Municipal Police Station said at around 5:00 in the afternoon of April 13, the victims were riding an SUV and were on their way home to Brgy. Mainit after attending a wedding celebration in Maligcong, Bontoc, Mountain Province.
The incident happened when Sokoken, the driver, tried to overtake a Toyota Innova that was signaling to the right.
Sokoken stepped on the accelerator as they were ascending but lost control of the steering wheel which led the vehicle straight to the parapet and onto the ravine.
Bontoc Mayor and Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MDRRMC) Chairperson Franklin Odsey expressed his gratitude to everyone who assisted the victims in the incident.
He highlighted the innate spirit of "Og-ogfo"(Bayanihan) which is very much alive in the Bontoc community.