POPE LEO XIV
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Police have charged a man with a multitude of crimes after he crashed into a Good Friday procession in the Philippines, killing three.
Bishop Patricio Buzon, S.B.D., of Bacolod, said in a statement that the diocese is "deeply grieved by the tragic accident."
"Their untimely and senseless death echoes the cry of Christ on the Cross: 'My God, my God, why...?' In moments like this, we too are left without answers," said Buzon in a statement published on Saturday.
"This is our Good Friday," said Buzon. “But we hold fast to the hope that this sorrow and loss will one day open the way to an Easter grace.”
Buzon offered prayers for those who were injured, and that the diocese "stands in solidarity with all the affected families, especially those of the deceased, offering our prayers, support, and compassion in this time of mourning."
The three killed were participating in an annual Good Friday procession through Bacolod City. Two were members of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Parish and Shrine in Barangay Alangilan, and other was a college student, reported local media.
A total of 17 people were injured in the multi-vehicle collision, including the companion of Jagpret Shingh, the man who triggered the crash.
Shingh, said local media, was traveling with four others when his Toyota Innova hit a tricycle. That tricycle then "split in half" and hit a police car that was guarding the procession, a multicab, and then people in the procession. Shingh and his companions then attempted to flee the scene.
In the Philippines, a "tricycle" is a motorized vehicle capable of carrying several passengers. A multicab is a small truck-like vehicle used in the Philippines as a form of mass transit.
Shingh, who was identified in the press as an "Indian national" who had lived in the Philippines for a decade, was charged with "imprudence resulting in multiple homicide, multiple physical injuries, and damage." He also tested positive for alcohol, said Filipino media, and he admitted to speeding.
Shingh said he fled the scene due to fears of a mob, and that the did not intend to hit the procession.
He apologized to the families of the victims, reported Filipino media. He remains in police custody.
