Priest electrocuted by microphone

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – A 32-year-old parish priest died last Monday after he was electrocuted while holding the microphone of a karaoke sing-along machine at a beach resort in Morong, Bataan.

Senior Superintendent Manuel Gaerlan, Bataan police director, said Fr. Roberto del Rosario, parish priest of Balagtas, Bulacan, was about to sing when he was electrocuted by the microphone of the karaoke machine at Managers’ Beach Resort in Barangay Nagbalayong in Morong at about 6:30 p.m.

Investigators said the priest had a swim in the sea and was about to sing a song when he was electrocuted.

Police Officer 3 Francis Aquino of the Morong police, said Del Rosario had joined his parishioners for an outing at the resort when the accident happened.

“The report is that the priest emerged from swimming and was still wet when he held the microphone,” Aquino said.

The priest’s companions saw the victim trembling as he held the microphone.

They pulled out the plug of the microphone and then rushed the victim to the James Gordon Memorial Hospital in Olongapo City, but the victim died on the way.

Aquino said police probers are looking into the liability of resort owner Rodolfo Abella for allowing guests to use a defective machine.

Gearlan ordered a thorough investigation of the incident to determine if the resort owner was responsible for the priest’s death.  – Ding Cervantes, Ric Sapnu