Dead at toppled building now 27

PHOTO FROM BFP CENTRAL LUZON

ANGELES CITY, PAMPANGA, Philippines — The death toll from the May 24 collapse of a nine-story building under construction in Barangay Balibago here rose to 27 on Wednesday after rescue workers recovered four more victims from the rubble of concrete and steel.

The latest fatalities were recovered between 7:21 a.m. and 3:45 p.m. on Wednesday, according to the Unified Command that oversees search, rescue and retrieval operations at the site.

Authorities have yet to release the identities of the latest victims pending verification and notification of relatives.

At the start of the operation, around 20 people, mostly construction workers, were reported missing. However, responders continue to retrieve victims who were not included in the original list, including an infant recovered on Tuesday night and several others whose identities have yet to be verified.

The discrepancy between the official list of missing persons and the number of victims recovered has prompted authorities to continue retrieval operations and identity verification efforts.

READ: Vendor couple among fatalities in Angeles building collapse

“Based on the records we have received, there are now zero cases. However, we are still finding individuals who are not included in the list of construction workers provided to us. That is why we are continuing the search,” said Fire Supt. Maria Leah Sajili, regional public information officer of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-Central Luzon.

Settlement talks

The contractor’s lawyer said the company had reached out to families of the victims to offer assistance.

READ: Pa’s death in collapsed building leaves child orphaned

Lawyer Nicolai Manguerra, legal counsel for Golden Years Construction and Steelworks Corp. owned by structural engineer Joel Cu, said that they already talked to 12 families, with two already receiving aid.

“We are offering them assistance at the moment. We are reaching out to the families to determine what help we can provide, especially for those whose loved ones had been declared dead,” Manguerra told the Inquirer in a phone interview.

He clarified that although they are currently discussing an initial settlement amount of P150,000, the financial aid that the contractor would give was not intended to affect any legal action that families may choose to pursue.

“These are lives we are talking about. Our primary consideration in providing financial assistance is to help grieving families. We hope it can be a simple step moving forward, although it will still depend on discussions with each family,” he said.

“If we eventually discuss whether they intend to pursue legal remedies, that is something we can talk about with the families. But we will provide assistance, regardless. If they want to file a case or exercise their rights, we will respect and understand that,” Manguerra added.

While some families said they were willing to accept the financial assistance being offered, they stressed that doing so would not stop them from pursuing legal action.

In a phone interview, Jerome Adonis, national chair of labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno, said the owner and contractor should provide compensation to the victims of the building collapse, but stressed that it should not be seen as a substitute for justice. /cb