Owner, contractor of Angeles City collapsed building vow aid for victims

A week after a nine-story building being constructed collapsed in Angeles City, Pampanga, lawyers of the owner and contractor of the structure showed up at a press conference on Saturday.

According to a report on 24 Oras Weekend, one of the lawyers said that the owner of the building is willing to help the victims and seeks to conduct an independent investigation into the incident.

“Una po naming kinausap iyon pong Office of the Mayor po. Sila po ‘yung puwedeng tumulong sa amin at ipinaliwanag din po namin kung kakailangan pong pinansyal na tulong,” Atty. Willie Rivera, representative of the building owner, told reporters.

(We first talked to the Office of the Mayor. They are the ones who can help us, and we explained to them that should financial help be needed.)

“Hindi po tatakbo si contractor sa mga assistance na hihingiin ng families. Ang number one priority nila ngayon ay to help the affected families,” Atty. Nicolai Manguerra, representative of the contractor, added.

(The contractor will not run away from the assistance that families would request. Their number one priority is to help the affected families.)

According to the lawyers, two of the victims have already received financial aid from the owner, while others refused to accept the assistance.

Meanwhile, search and retrieval, and clearing operations continue at the site of the collapsed building.

According to Angeles City Mayor Carmelo Lazatin II, the clearing operation is currently at 5 percent, without a definite date as to when the operation will conclude.

At least 14 individuals are still missing. The death toll remains at six.

The nine-storey building being constructed in Barangay Balibago collapsed before dawn on May 24. —Lyjah Tiffany Bonzo/KG, GMA News