By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

A newsman working for a popular TV channel in Bacolod City was injured after he was bumped by a public utility jeepney (PUJ) in front of the BAYS Center in the city’s San Juan Street yesterday morning.

Police identified the mediaman as 31-year-old Adrian Prietos, a reporter and news anchor for GMA-Bacolod.

In an interview with Watchmen Daily Journal, Prietos said he was covering the influx of people lining up to register for the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Bacolod.

As he was doing short interviews on some individuals, a PUJ with a route Bata-Libertad rushed in and its side mirror smashed into Prietos’ head.

Medics from the Bacolod City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office outpost which is also located nearby immediately responded and gave first aid to Prietos.

Prietos added he underwent minor surgery in the head and also went through CT-SCAN at the Riverside Medical Center in the city.

Police Staff Sgt. Gabriel Vasquez, traffic investigator for Police Station 1, identified the driver of the PUJ as 25-year-old Jesus Tagulabong, a resident of Purok Marapara in the city’s Barangay Bata.

According to Vasquez it is possible that Tagulabong failed to notice the people who were queuing up by the roadside.

It was also noted that Tagulabong was only holding a student driver’s permit, which was also expired.

Tagulabong could face charges involving reckless imprudence resulting in physical injuries over the incident.
Prietos, meanwhile, called on the attention of the Comelec-Bacolod office, and the city government of Bacolod to transfer the registrant’s lines at the back of the BAYS Center as to avoid such incidents from happening again./DGB, WDJ