By Ronron
November 8, 2007
The wife of former Senator Rene Saguisag, former Social Welfare Secretary Dulce Saguisag, was killed in a freak accident before dawn of Thursday at a road intersection in Makati City, police said.
The former lawmaker, who continues to be prominent to this day because of his being a part of the defense team of deposed President Joseph Estrada, was also seriously injured, as well as their driver, identified as Felipe Calvario.
Police said the Saguisag’s were aboard their white Toyota Hi-Ace Grandia (ZFV-674) on their way home when, while crossing Pres. Osmeña Highway from Arnaiz Avenue in Barangay Pio del Pilar, a 10-wheeler dump truck smashed them at around 1:15 am.
The impact was on the middle of the left side of the van, directly hitting Mrs. Saguisag, and was so strong that the van was dragged some 30 meters away.
Mrs. Saguisag, 64, was seated at the back of the driver, and next to her on the right side was the 68-year-old ex-Senator. Seated beside the driver was a certain Imelda Obong, reportedly a dance instructor.
Police said the truck, driven by Manuel Geronimo, 42, was cruising Pres. Osmeña Highway and was heading towards Bulacan where he lives. Geronimo said he came from Laguna where he delivered sand and rocks.
Geronimo claimed he had the green light so he continued driving until he saw the van of the Saguisag crossing his way. “When I was stepping on my brake, it was already too late. The van was dragged,” he said in Filipino.
However, a taxi driver who claimed to be immediately tailing the van of the Saguisag’s, disputed the statement of Geronimo.
“We already have the GO (sign)… I even honked at the van because I was wondering why it was not yet moving. When we started moving, that was it – the Hi-Ace was hit perfectly in the middle… The truck was from the South Superhighway. It did not stop or even slow down,” said Jeofrey Olmoguez.
Geronimo said he was not sleepy at that time, nor was he under the influence of drugs or alcohol as he is not into the vice.
“I was really shocked after the incident, I could not immediately go down the truck,” he said.
Police said Mrs. Saguisag was declared dead on arrival at the Ospital ng Makati, while the former Senator and Calvario were transferred from there to the Makati Medical Center (MMC). Obong is also being treated at the MMC.
A medical bulletin of the MMC at 12 noon yesterday states that the former Senator “suffered severe trauma to the head and chest” and was admitted at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
“He may have to undergo surgical intervention to address complications resulting from the injuries he sustained,” the bulletin said.
A son of the Saguisag’s, Atty. Rene Andres, said he is hopeful his father will recover fast because the latter was responding to demands of the doctors like movement of the fingers.
Before office hours closed, the police was able to file charges for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide, multiple physical injuries and damage to properties against Geronimo.
Rene Saguisag was born on August 14, 1939 in Mauban, Quezon. He obtained his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1963 cum laude at San Beda College, and his Masters of Laws degree full scholar at Harvard University in 1968.
He was a member of the academe and a human rights lawyer before becoming the spokesman of Corazon Aquino from the time she was still a Presidential candidate in 1986.
He was then elected Senator in 1987, which he served until 1992. At that time, Saguisag was chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privilege and Ad Hoc Committee on the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant.
Currently, Saguisag is a known defender of Estrada and critic of the Arroyo government.
His late wife, on the other hand, briefly held the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) portfolio during the Estrada’s presidency after then Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo quit the post due to alleged corruption in the Estrada government./DMS
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