Five state troopers hurt in North Cotabato vehicular crash

NORTH COTABATO --- Three militiamen and two soldiers were badly injured in a vehicular crash at the border of North Cotabato’s adjoining Arakan and President Roxas towns late Thursday.They were on their way to their camp from a secluded area when their vehicle flipped and rolled over after one of its front tires blew out while cruising through a stretch of a national highway in Barangay Ilustre in President Roxas.The injured members of the Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit, Ric Gomez, Ronnie Librando and Delio Dangin, and two soldiers, Privates 1stClass Lord John Singson and Rocky Villamore, were rushed to a hospital by responding rescue teams.Singson and Villamore both belong to the Army’s 39thInfantry Battalion.The 39thIB has jurisdiction over the adjoining Arakan, Magpet and President Roxas towns, scene of intermittent clashes between government forces and New People’s Army guerillas for two weeks now.Local police investigators said the driver of the KM450 light truck carrying the victims lost control of its wheel when one of its front tires exploded, causing the crash.