3 minors electrocuted in Toledo

CEBU, Philippines - Three minors suffered severe burns in different parts of their bodies after they were electrocuted by the wire they were allegedly about to steal at around 7:00 in the evening in Sitio Larap, Barangay Daanlungsod, Toledo City.

Two minors were 15 years old while the other, 14, were rushed to the Toledo City Hospital and were later transferred to a hospital in Cebu City for further treatment.

Of the three, one 15-year-old, is in critical condition.

The minors reportedly climbed the wooden post of the Cebu Electric Company (CEBECO) and were helping each other cut the wire when it short circuited.

The father of the14-year-old reportedly heard his son’s cry for help prompting the latter to run and rescue them.

Police failed to recover any equipment used by minors.

SPO3 Henry Acosta, investigator, said there was a possibility that minors mistakenly identified the electrical wire as that of telephone wire.

“Naalaan kuno ni nila og telephone wire unya kusog man kayo ang dagan sa kuryente pagka-short circuit mao to nakuryentehan. (They reportedly thought it was a telephone wire and the voltage was very strong that when it short circuited, they minors were electrocuted),” Acosta said in a phone interview.

Stolen electrical wires are reportedly sold to a scrap buyer in Barangay Sangi.

Although theft of electrical wires in the area is rampant, Acosta said they could not point to the minors as suspects of the incidents since there are other identities involved in the stealing.

“Duna na mi identified unya nafile-an na pud namo og kaso… kini sila (minors) wala pa ni ma-fili sukad. (We have identified and charged suspects. These minor have never been charged),” he said.

 Acosta disclosed that one of the 15-year-olds no longer went to school while the two others are high school students.

 Meanwhile, a 30-year-old man died in his second attempt at committing suicide Thursday afternoon in Barangay Colawin, Argao.

Sherwin Capadngan Calledo, single, shot himself once in the head using a .38 revolver inside their house around 1:30 p.m.

He succumbed to a gunshot wound in his left temple with the bullet exited on the opposite side which caused his immediate death.

Calledo’s mother, Jovita, rushed Sherwin to the Isidro Kintanar Memorial Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.

Police recovered the revolver loaded with four bullets and one empty shell of the same caliber.

Calledo was reportedly suffering from a nervous breakdown and last year, he tried to end his life by drinking kerosene.  (FREEMAN)