In observance of the Holy Week, the Philippine News Agency’s online news service will be off on March 29, Good Friday, and March 30, Black Saturday. Normal operations will resume on March 31, Easter Sunday.

— The Editors

3 kids die of suffocation inside parked car in Bataan

By Ernie Esconde

May 15, 2019, 3:54 pm

ORION, Bataan -- Three young girls died of suspected suffocation after they were trapped for hours inside a parked car here on Monday.

Captain Dennis Orbista, Orion police chief, on Wednesday identified the victims as Shamel Algehla Morales, 8, a Grade 3 pupil; Agatha Morales, 9, a Grade 4 pupil, and Paulaine Keziah Morales, 6, a Grade 1 pupil, all from Barangay Sto. Domingo, this town.

Orbista said that one of the victims is a daughter of Jessie Morales, a safety officer of an oil company who was using the company vehicle at the time of the incident.

It was learned from the victims' relatives at the wake that the three children were cousins.

The parents begged off from interview and said that being relatives, they have settled the problem among themselves.

The police chief said a neighbor reported that the victims were last seen playing near the parked company vehicle.

Orbista said that hours later, when Jessie went near the car at about 4 p.m., he noticed that the children were inside the car and no longer moving.

“Binuksan niya pintuan at nang hindi na nagrerespond ang mga bata, dinala ang mga ito sa ospital kung saan namatay dahil nasuffocate (they opened the car’s door and when the children no longer responded, they brought them to the hospital where they died due to suffocation),” he said.

Investigation showed that the car’s door can be opened from outside but cannot be opened from inside, the police chief said.

Asked if the vehicle owner or the one using it has responsibility for what happened, Orbista said they will look into the case based on the report of the DSWD to determine if there is negligence on the part of the owner. So far, he said they have not received the report yet.

“Sa mga magulang ng mga bata na kasing-edad ng mga biktima, lagi silang bantayan dahil mga bata out of curiosity napaglalaruan nilang lahat ang bagay sa paligid (To parents of children who are of the same age of the victims, always watch over the children because out of curiosity, they play with all things in the surroundings),” he said. (PNA)

Comments