COTABATO CITY — They left for an outing in Davao City after New Year’s Day, full of excitement, but returned home lifeless following a highway mishap. Their Catholic family is now calling for the prosecution of the reckless driver blamed for their untimely deaths.
The remains of the four fatalities, the spouses Remie and Edna Centena, along with their relatives Mary Joy Lastimoso and Sherlyn Altimo, were transported late Saturday, January 4, to their homes in Barangay Tamontaka, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte. Emergency responders, under the office of Mayor Lester Sinsuat, facilitated the transfer from the Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City.
Sinsuat and the barangay chairperson of Tamontaka, Bai Ivy Rose Sinsuat, initially extended essential support to the families of the four accident victims and helped arrange places for their wakes.
The Centena couple, Lastimoso, and Altimo were on their way home from Davao City aboard a white passenger van when a speeding silver van, coming from the opposite direction along the highway in Binugao, Toril District, Davao City, swerved into their lane. The collision resulted in the fatal accident and left five of their co-passengers injured.
Security camera footage obtained from around the accident scene showed how fast the wayward van was traveling when it slammed into the side of the vehicle carrying the victims. The van was driven by Khadafy Landasan Salik of Kabacan town, Cotabato province.
Salik is now in the custody of the Davao City Police Office, according to radio reports from Cotabato City on Sunday morning.
The driver of the van, Omar Lastimoso, husband of Mary Joy, sustained wounds and contusions on various parts of his body. Four of his passengers perished in the mishap.
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