Sun.Star: Three kids drown in Pampanga resort

CANDABA -- Three kids died Monday in a swimming pool at the Amber Kingdom Water Park, a newly constructed resort in Barangay San Pablo, Mexico. The victims were identified as Giorgio Mallari, 9; Kenzo Mallari, 7; and Flitz Gabriel Mallari, 6, all residents of Talipapa, Pasig, this town. Christian Mallari, the victims' father, said that his children drowned because of "recklessness" and "laxity" of the hotel management. The parents of the victims are contemplating on filing charges of gross negligence and reckless imprudence against the management and owners of Amber Kingdom. Nova Ariola, mother of Giorgio and Kenzo, said she and the rest of her family were hesitant when they arrived in the place, because it lacked lighting facilities. However, Lorraine Salac, an aunt of the victims, said they set aside their fears when they saw that there was a security guard. In a separate interview, Javes Gatpolintan, Amber Kingdom operations manager, said they are deeply saddened by the incident. He said that the company's target is to keep a "zero accident" record in the entire resort. In fact, a barangay peace-keeping force unit is on standby during the peak hours to assure that accidents would be minimized. The incident was the first in the resort, he said. He explained further that the children were found by the lifeguard and security personnel who were conducting clearing routine after the 10 p.m. cut-off time for the early night swimming. "The group of the victims registered for the 5 to 10 p.m. swimming and during that period we have a lifeguard on standby," he said. The victims, he said, were found floating by the roving guards about 25 minutes after the cut-off time. Lights and signage are also posted in strategic places in the resort, Gatpolintan said, to warn clientele that children aged below 15 years old should be accompanied by parents or responsible adults while inside the pool area. But Gatpolintan stressed that the management is awaiting the outcome of the formal investigation and made an assurance that it would abide by what obligations the law may impose upon the company as a result of the incident. "We are not running from any responsibility that is why we sought police investigation to assure that there would be balanced rendering of report between the company and the family of the victims," he said. He further said that to give the police free hand in the conduct of the investigation, the employees who were on duty at the time of the incident were preventively suspended by the company. The company, after the incident, sent representatives to extend assistance to the aggrieved family. However, this was disputed by some relatives of the victims. Rosanna Soliman, grandmother of Gabriel, said when they screamed and cried for help, there was no lifeguard around. Soliman also noted that there were no warning signs that children were not allowed in the swimming pool. She said that as parents, there was also negligence but the management of the resort should be held responsible for the incident as they are duty bound to provide a lifeguard and other safety gears for the convenience and safety of the customers. "They must ensure that their swimming pool and the whole place is safe and secured for the customers," she added.- Sun.Star