By Mae Singuay

Bacolod City Councilor Israel Salanga has denied ownership of a pick-up truck that rammed into a native delicacy store in Barangay Villamonte on Saturday morning, November 25.

In a Facebook post yesterday, Salanga said that the vehicle was owned by his brother, Mark Gabriel, and shared a photo of the vehicle registration certificate.

Salanga responded to netizens who observed that the vehicle’s owner was not included in the police blotter report.

“Indi na ‘ko tani mag-explain kay wala man ‘to crime kag na-settle naman,” he said in the social media post.

Salanga explained that before the incident happened, he was rushed to a private hospital by his staff, Andres Enrico Realubit, after the councilor accidentally slipped while taking a bath.

Realubit dropped Salanga at the hospital’s emergency room, and looked for a parking space nearby.

A police investigation revealed that Realubit lost control of the vehicle as he tried to park beside the establishment.

He accidentally rammed the vehicle into the glass wall and damaged chairs and tables.

The vehicle also incurred front windshield damage./MS, WDJ