My Pops wanted to take the kids to Cyberpark, Eastwood City yesterday (11/06/2005) and I suggested that they go to Tiendesitas, instead. I told my Mom that there are more to see in Tiendesitas than in Eastwood and the kids can even ride the kalesa (local horse carriage) in Tien. She was convinced and she told my Pops that it's where they were going.

When my brother found out that they were going out, he told my Mom to wait for them here at home so that they could come along. Then I said that I was going, too.

Initially, my brother decided on bringing his car since they (his family) plan to go to SM Megamall after showing his kids around Tien. But, my Pops told him to just ride with us since there was enough room in the Revo to accomodate all of us, anyway.

When we were about to leave, my son, Miguel asked my sister to come with us so that we could go out as one whole family, since it was her birthday the day before. So there ... that made it the first time in a very long time that we all were together in an activity like this.

My Pops was the one driving with my brother, Rikki, beside him. In the middle row, seated from left to right were my son, Miguel (10 years old); my nephew, Paulo (5 years old); me then my Mom. At the back, on the left side was my sister-in-law, Lynne and my daughter, Samantha (8 years old). Sitting across from them are my sister, Mel and my other nephew, `R-Chie (8 years old). (On the picture above are three of the four kids we were with during the accident: Miguel, Samantha and Paulo. On the pic below are `R-Chie and Miguel.)

The ride was smooth from the time we left the house as well as when we traversed E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave. passing through Libis. We were running southbound at about 40kph and when we were midway through the four-way intersection crossing Ortigas Ave. the traffic light switched to orange. We could have easily made it to the other side, but there was a blue Nissan Frontier (with license plate XAR 448) rushing westward to beat the red light coming from the east (we found out later on that they came from Cainta). We had warned our Pops about the speeding vehicle but our vehicle stopped too late, the truck was going too fast and we hit its right rear fender. He spun around making a 360-degree turn right after our vehicles collided. There was smoke coming out of the Revo and by-standers even thought that it would explode.

We were all in shock for a what seemed like a long time then my Pops got out of the Revo, shaking, to look at the damage caused by the impact. We had two digital cameras and two phone cameras with us but none of us was able to take any picture of the scene immediately after the accident had happened. We were just able to take pictures while waiting for the police to arive. Besides, the driver of the Frontier had moved his truck to the side of the road (facing the West) at once because the vehicles coming from Libis blew their car horns inconsiderately since would weren't able to pass through the intersection anymore.

Before I got down the Revo, I asked my Mom if she was hurt. She said she wasn't, but when I turned my head around, I saw that there were lipstick marks on the VCD monitor (The bigger circle shows the lipstick mark and the smaller circle encloses her teeth marks.) attached to the front passenger headrest. I asked to check her teeth and saw that her gums were bleeding. Unfortunately, I still had to ask her to go down so that I could pass to see what I can do to help.

My brother helped my Pops, my sister manned the traffic, my sister-in-law took care of the kids and my Mom crossed the street with me but she was disconcerted so she just stood on one side. I was shaking, but someone had to talk to the driver of the Frontier. It was a challenge for me to stay level-headed as I spoke with the other driver, considering his irresponsibility.

In the 30 minutes or so that had gone by while waiting for the police to arrive, the driver of the Frontier, Luisito Rodriguez apologized to me more than thrice and said that he did not intend for the situation to take place, but when we got to the police station (The driver is the one in white t-shirt, to the right of my Pops in this photo.) he made all sorts of lies. When he was asked who owned the truck, he said the owner is Ilocos Governor Luis "Chavit" Singson. However, when the police officer and my cousin checked the name on the registration documents, someone else's name appeared on it. His passenger claimed to the governor's Man Friday.

I stepped out of the police station when they were already having a heated conversation. The driver called, whom he addressed as "Gov" and spoke in his dialect (Ilokano). To his surprise, my mom is also Ilokano, herself and understood that he told the person he spoke with on the other end of the line that we are the ones who were at fault. My Pops didn't want to name drop but after what the driver had said, he mentioned one of our cousin's name, who happens to a friend to the Governor.

To cut a long story short, we all just went home after they had exchanged phone numbers and agreed to just settle this amicably. But if they will not keep their part of their obligation, then what will happen next will be a different story altogether.

We're all just grateful to God that none of us were seriously hurt.

To all motorists out there, please always remember to pray before you start on a trip. Be a defensive driver at all times because no matter how safely we drive, we wouldn't know what runs in the heads of other motorists on the road.

you make my life perfect-`