Five killed in road accident in southern Philippines

Five people were killed in a road accident involving a truck and three motorcycles in the southern Philippine province of Cotabato on Saturday, police said.

Cotabato Provincial Police Office said the incident occurred at about 5:00 a.m. local time on Saturday at Malasila village in Makilala town.

A 10-wheeler truck loaded with around 700 cases of bottled soft drinks was travelling on the national highway from Davao City to Midsayap town in Cotabato when the truck swerved to the opposite direction hitting three motorcycles.

Five motorcycle riders, three males and two females, died on the spot, police said. The truck driver, who sustained injuries, was brought to a nearby hospital for treatment.

On Tuesday, an overloaded mini-bus plunged into a 100-foot ravine in Nueva Ecija in the northern Philippines, killing 35 people.

The recent bus mishap prompted a congressman to call for a congressional inquiry to prevent similar incidents from happening.

Quezon City Representative Alfred Vargas said the government regulatory agency must once and for all act stronger against public vehicles that are not road-worthy. Endit