TAGAYTAY CITY, Cavite — The life-size statue of the late Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. remained intact following a truck accident before dawn Wednesday at the famous Tagaytay City rotunda in Cavite, an official reported Thursday.

The rotunda where the senator-martyr’s image stands is the landmark of Tagaytay City, a prime tourist destination in the country.

City Information and Tourism Officer Leilanu D. Diesta said that the Ninoy statue was not damaged when its left base was hit by a speeding cargo truck which rammed the rotunda in Silang Crossing East.

“The senator’s image was virtually unscathed during the accident, only the base was damaged,” Diesta said in the vernacular.

Police Officer 1 Joseph Ryan Bascugin, officer-on-case, said that an Isuzu 10-wheeler truck driven by one Carlito Besas rammed the rotunda at 3:05 a.m. Wednesday.

The impact pinned Besas at the driver’s seat after the left front portion of the vehicle hit the rotunda center base.

Bascugin said that Besas, 39, sustained body injuries and was brought to a hospital in nearby Batangas province.

The truck (RGA-749) was carrying soy sauce packages. The vehicle came from Manila and was bound for Balayan, Batangas.

Initial investigations showed that Besas, 39, was sleepy while he was driving the truck towards the rotunda Bascugin said that a damage to government property complaint was filed against Besas. (Anthony Giron)