By Joel M. Sy Egco

Ma. Theresa Torres, the driver of a van that ran over and killed 10-year-old Juan Carlo Miguel ?Amiel? Alcantara inside the Ateneo de Manila campus last week, was released Friday evening after posting bail.

Supt. Rudy Valoria, chief of the Quezon City District Traffic Enforcement Unit, said Torres was ordered to pay a P42,000 bond which was later reduced to P36,000.

?Her release order was signed by Judge Luis Zenon Maserin, presiding judge of the QC Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 39,? he told Standard Today.

The body of the fourth grader was cremated on Saturday after a four-day wake at the campus chapel where families and friends offered prayers and consoled with the Alcantaras.

Valoria said it was up to the court when Torres would appear to answer the charge of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide over the death of Alcantara and the wounding of the boy?s nanny, Tata Suarez.

?The family of the victim had been informed about the release of the suspect. The lawyers of the two families have been in constant communication,? Valoria said, referring to Rolando Villones, Torres? counsel; and Rafael Aquino, representing the Alcantaras.

After Tuesday?s accident, the 37-year-old Torres was held at the Traffic section in Camp Karingal police headquarters in Sikatuna Village.

According to Villones, the release papers arrived early evening after being signed by Maserin, who came from a conference in Tagaytay City.

In a press statement, Torres apologized to the Alcantara family, saying she was also a parent who shared their pain.

Since the accident, she has been in a state of shock and severe trauma, being hysterical most of the time.

Valoria warned against the hazards of being occupied by other things behind the wheel.

?These distractions, such as texting or conversing with other people on the phone can cause fatal road accidents,? he said.

Not a few blogs and Internet write-ups indicated that Torres was allegedly ?texting? before she ran over Amiel.