By AARON RECUENCO • FRANCIS T. WAKEFIELD
Police impounded at least 44 buses of the Dimple Star Transport line, yesterday.
Supt. Imelda Tolentino, spokesperson of the MIMAROPA (Mindoro Oriental and Occidental, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) regional police, said the buses were placed under police custody by order of Chief Supt. Emmanuel Luis Licup, Regional Director.
“He told us to hold all Dimple Star buses catering to passengers bound to Mindoro Occidental and Iloilo City via Roxas Pier in Mindoro Oriental,” said Tolentino.
20 of the buses were taken to the Provincial Police office of Oriental Mindoro while 22 others were placed in custody at the police regional office.
The passengers of all the intercepted Dimple Star buses were transferred to passenger vans said Tolentino.
Meanwhile, the owner of the Dimple Star Transport line turned himself in Friday night, Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) chief Director Roel Obusan, said
54-year-old Hilbert Napat was accompanied by his wife, Nilda, 51, and his lawyer, when he arrived at Camp Crame, Quezon City at about 7:46 p.m.
Obusan said CIDG operatives went to Napat’s house in Cabuyao, Laguna to fetch him and bring him to the PNP-CIDG office in order to face investigation over the bus crash.
Earlier, Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Christopher “Bong” Go, revealed that no less than President Duterte made the order to arrest the Dimple Star operator during an unannounced visit to the site of the accident Friday afternoon.
“Pinahuli ni PRRD (ang) operator and pinahuli nya (rin) ang lahat ng colorum (buses),” Go said in a text message.
During a brief interview, Napat said he turned himself in to prove he is willingly cooperating in the ongoing investigation of the case.
He also promised to help the victims of the bus crash.
“Sa ngayon suportado namin lahat, (pati) hospitals bills (nila). Nakiusap kami sa lahat ng nasaktan na sagot namin lahat kung ano man ang mga financial na kailangan (nila),” Napat said.
His wife, on the other hand, shared to reporters, “Nagpunta kami dito para makipag-coordinate po, kooperasyon sa anumang imbestigasyon. Makikipag cooperate kami para masabi namin na sincere kami, ipakita namin sincere kami na tumulong sa mga nabiktima, sa namatayan, hindi namin sila pababayaan.”
Obusan thanked the couple for their gesture.
“Ako ay nagpapasalamat dahil voluntary silang pumunta dito sa CIDG at nang sa gayon ay napakaaaga natin masisimulan ang dapat natin gagawin para ikakatuwa ng mga nasaktan lalo na ng pamilya ng 19 na namatay,” Obusan said.
“Ang masasabi ko lang ang CIDG ay magta-trabaho at tatapusin kaagad ito nang sa gayon iyung mga nasaktan at namatayan ay mabigyan natin ng pansin at kaagarang lunas ang kanilang pagdadalamhati,” he added.