Saturday, Feb 08, 2014
Manila: Comedian Arvin “Tado” Jimenez was among the 14 people who died on Friday in a bus crash in Mt Province.
Reports said Jimenez, who would have turned 40 on March 24, was working on a personal project in Bontoc to mark his birthday when the accident occurred.
The bus that Jimenez was travelling in with dozens of passengers, including Canadian national Alex Acres Loring and Dutch Anne Van de Van, grazed the side of a mountain before falling into a 116-metre deep ravine in the village of Talubin in the town of Bontoc.
The impact of the collision was so strong that bodies of the passengers were strewn all over the cliff down to the rice paddies.
Jimenez, with his trademark oversized spectacles and hippy-style long hair, last appeared in the film My Little Bossings, which came out in December.
While he was well known for his comedic antics on TV and film, people who knew him said Jimenez was a social activist long before he became famous. He had taken part in demonstrations in the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and in rallies calling for social change.
In 2010, he ran for a local post as councillor of Marikina suburb but lost.
In the aftermath of the recent typhoon Haiyan, he was part of a team of creatives who raised funds for the victims through concerts.
But it was his act with fellow performing artistes Ramon Bautista and Angel Rivero that struck comedic gold.
The trio hosted the radio show BrewRATS Republic.
The tragic accident has brought to light the questionable safety records of local transportation firms and the fact that some bus companies dodge government regulations on vehicle registration.
G.V. Florida Transport Inc, the company that owns the bus, has been found by the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to have used a registration plate assigned to another company, Mt Province Cable Tours.
Florida Transport’s bus No 835 was involved in the accident, the LTFRB imposed a 30-day suspension of the company.
Prior to the bus’s ill-fated trip, Jimenez took a picture of the bus and posted it on Facebook.
“What the bus company committed is blatant multiple violations that we cannot just tolerate because it puts people’s life in danger,” LTFRB Chairman Atty. Winston Ginez said.
Buses in the country, whether ones plying intra-city routes or long-haul trips, are notorious for being involved in accidents.
By Gilbert P. ?Felongco Correspondent
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