Tatlong bata sa Brgy. Margot, Angeles City, Patay!

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga—Rescuers have retrieved the bodies of three children who died from drowning at a quarry site in Barangay Margot in Angeles City, north of this Pampanga capital, on Wednesday.

Citing a police report, Angeles City Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan identified the fatalities as Mary Grace Salado, 11; her brother Ruzzel John, 9; and Adrian Jerome Suba, 10.

Senior Supt. Rodolfo Recomono, city police director said initial reports showed that the three children “went out for a swim” at a quarry site in Purok 5 at past 2 p.m.

Water at the site, made deep by the extraction of sand, was more than five feet deep, he said.

Village officials cordoned off the area after the bodies of the children were fished out near dusk.

Recomono said investigators were still determining if the quarrying was legal or not.

Under the mining law, permits for quarry sites that span five hectares and less are issued by mayors and those more than five hectares are given by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Pamintuan said village officials reported that water pooled at the site due to rains last Tuesday.

Quarrying was active there during the previous administration, the mayor said, adding that under his term, he has not issued any quarry permit in Margot.

Source Inquirer.net

ALTERNATIVE NEWS

PAMPANGA, Philippines – Three children were killed after drowning in a quarry in Angeles City, Pampanga on Wednesday.

Reports said the victims were identified as siblings Mary Grace Salado, 11, Russel John Salado, 9, and their friend Adrian Jerome Suba, 10 years old.

The children were swimming with another unidentified Salado sibling when the 3 drowned in Barangay Margot around 2 p.m.

A witness identified as Ricardo Palo was the one who called authorities.

“Nakita ko ‘yung isa sa mga kapatid nila basang basa. Sabi ko ‘Naligo ba kayo?’ Sabi niya oo daw, ‘yung mga kapatid niya nasa tubig pa daw, hindi pa umaahon. Dun na ako humingi ng tulong," Palo said.

Investigations showed that heavy rains since Tuesday filled the 12-foot-deep quarry.

Reports said the excavation was operated by P.m. Mccrann Construction and Trading.

However, barangay officials of Barangay Margot said they were not aware of any excavation projects in the area.

“Wala silang permit dito. Hindi naman namin alam na naghuhukay pala sila dyan,” said Barangay Captain Noemi Ocampo.

Police is investigating the incident to determine who is responsible.

“Maaaring managot ang operator kung may nakitang neglegence sa nangyari,” said Insp. Alfedo Canlas of Angeles Police Station 5. -- Report from Trisha Mostoles, ABS-CBN Pampanga