House terrace collapses, kills teenage student in Bacoor

BACOOR CITY, Cavite — A 14-year-old student who was selling mangoes to augment their family income died after being pinned to death under the collapsed terrace of a decade-old house in this city yesterday morning.

Senior Police Officer 1 Michael Villanueva Legaspi Jr., case investigator, identified the victim as Steven G. Gale, a Grade 9 student and resident of Sitio Samala, Tabing-dagat, Barangay Talaba II, this city.

SPO1 Legaspi said there was a heavy downpour around 10:45 a.m. Friday while Gale was selling mangoes, so he took shelter under the terrace of their neighbor’s house.

“Nagtitinda po yung victim (Gale) ng mga mangga, nakisilong po siya sa terrace na malapit sa bahay nila (The victim was selling mangoes, he took shelter under the terrace near his family’s house),” he narrated.

Suddenly, the one-meter-by-20meter terrace collapsed and fell on Gale. By the time neighbors came out to lift the heavy structure off the boy’s body, he was no longer breathing, the investigator said.

It was learned that the owner of the house, Rodelia Rezanssab, a businesswoman, was not around when the tragedy happened.

Gale’s mother was hysterical at the scene as neighbors told SPO1 Legaspi what a big loss the boy was to his family since he was very industrious.

The homicide prober said a meeting between the family of Gale and Rezanssab had been set later in the day and that no charges had been filed yet.

SPO1 Legaspi added that he had yet to see the terrace’s built and materials and determine if the make was standard or substandard to be included in his progress report.