6th fatality retrieved from collapsed building

ANGELES CITY, Philippines — Another male body was retrieved yesterday under the rubble of a building that collapsed in Barangay Balibago in this city a week ago.

The body was retrieved at around 12:40 a.m., bringing the number of fatalities to six.

City information officer Jay Pelayo IV said the decomposing body of Roberto Sabile was recovered by members of the search and rescue team.

Sabile was the father of another fatality, Christian, whose body was recovered on Thursday by a K-9 unit of the Philippine Coast Guard deployed at the scene, Pelayo said.

The other fatalities were identified as Malaysian national Mohd Rezal Abdullah, Porperio Alikaway and Mark Laurence Capungay, whose remains were recovered several hours after the nine-storey building collapsed before dawn on Sunday.

Another fatality has yet to be identified.

Signs of life

Meanwhile, the search and rescue team reportedly detected four entities moving under the rubble yesterday.

The Angeles City Information Office said the movement was detected at around 2:50 p.m. by a rescue radar installed at the site of the collapse.

Mayor Carmelo Lazatin II instructed responders to immediately intensify the search and rescue operation in the area where the movement was detected.

 Authorities said the rescue radar is capable of detecting any form of movement or sign of life including those from animals such as rodents, cats or dogs.

The rescue team is hopeful that survivors can still be found under the rubble.

Authorities said the search, rescue, retrieval and clearing operations would continue until all victims trapped under piles of concrete and steel are found.

The structure, which was undergoing construction at the time of the incident, was reportedly intended to become a condominium hotel.

Building owner to be summoned

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) will summon the owner of the building, identified as Ernest Jackson Lim, to shed light on the incident.

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said the CIDG would issue the summons either this weekend or on Monday.

Remulla said possible criminal cases would be filed against Lim and the contractor, Golden Years Construction and Steelworks.

“We are looking at the criminal aspect of the operations of the owner and the contractor,” he said.

A full technical assessment is ongoing to determine the cause of the collapse.

Remulla said the actions of local officials, including the city engineer and building officials, are also under review.

Financial assistance

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has vowed to provide cash assistance and benefits to workers and their families affected by the incident.

Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino on Thursday directed the Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC), an attached agency of the DOLE, to extend assistance to the victims and their families.

Under the ECC program, families of the fatalities will receive P15,000 each in cash assistance and will be assisted in processing the funeral benefit from the Social Security System.

Injured workers will receive P10,000 in cash assistance aside from possible disability benefits to be determined by the SSS. — Emmanuel Tupas, Ramon Efren Lazaro, Christine Boton