DUMAGUETE CITY, July 24 -- A government employee died while three other colleagues were injured after the government-owned commuter van they were riding lost its brakes and crashed into trees in Barangay Malusay, Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental on Thursday afternoon.

Lt. Col. Romeo Cubo, chief of the Guihulngan City Police Station, said Friday the driver and the three passengers were employees of the Pag-IBIG Fund.

The initial police investigation showed the van was traveling from Sitio Palao in Barangay Malusay to Guihulngan City proper at about 2 p.m. when its brakes reportedly failed while negotiating a curve.

The driver alerted the passengers about the brake failure but eventually lost control of the vehicle, which slammed into gm...