INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines--The death of a 14-year-old high school student at the Amoranto Sports Complex in Quezon City was traced to negligence, not foul play, based on an investigation conducted by the police.

SPO1 Neil Garnace of the Quezon City Police District’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit said in his report that the management of the government-run sports complex failed to provide immediate assistance to Paul Raymond Macabagdal.

“There was no foul play but management of the sports complex could be liable for negligence if the statements of the victims are correct,” Supt. Lino Banaag, head of the QCPD-CIDU told the Inquirer.

Banaag said officials of the sports complex had yet to issue a statement.

Macabagdal, a resident of Barangay Bahay Toro and a student at Ismael Mathay High School, went swimming in the pool of the sports complex with two other classmates on Oct. 27.

Garnace told the Inquirer that the names of the victim and his classmates appeared in the pool users’ log book which showed that their use of the pool was legal.

Considering that the victim and his classmates were all minors, the close supervision of a lifeguard or pool manager was required, he added.

Garnace said he based his report on the statements of the victim’s companions who told him that they were at the six-feet deep portion of the pool when the victim started to sink.

They added that no one came to their aid when they asked for help, not even the lifeguard on duty.

When the lifeguard identified as Sofronio Latras pulled the victim out of the pool, it was already too late. He tried to resuscitate the boy but when he failed to revive him, he took the victim to a hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.