ONE person was killed while three others were injured after a van carrying employees of the Pag-Ibig Fund crashed in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, around 11:25 a.m. on Thursday, July 23, 2026.
The fatality was identified only as Philip, 40, a resident of Talisay City, Cebu.
The injured were identified as Christian, 32, of Dumaguete City; Justin, 28, of San Roque, Cebu; and the driver, Jesus, 59, also of Talisay City.
Police said the group had traveled from Dumaguete City to Guihulngan to conduct a site inspection. After completing their inspection, they were heading to the municipality of Vallehermoso for another site visit when the accident occurred in Sitio Palao, Barangay Malusay.
The driver told investigators that the van’s brakes suddenly failed while they were negotiating a curve.
He said he immediately warned his passengers about the brake failure. Philip, who was seated in the front passenger seat, reportedly tried to jump out of the vehicle but was unable to do so.
The van crashed into a coconut tree before slamming into a gmelina tree along the roadside.
Philip sustained severe injuries and was declared dead on arrival at a hospital in Guihulngan City.
The driver and the two other passengers are now in stable condition. (AYB)
