By Glazyl Masculino
BACOLOD CITY – The bodies of the two teenagers who were reported missing on Wednesday due to a drowning incident were retrieved by authorities at Matab-ang river in Barangay Zone 15, Talisay City, Negros Occidental yesterday.
Karl Gabriel Cabrillos, 16, of Barangay Mandalagan here, who sacrificed himself to save his younger brother, was found by a fisherman around 6:30 a.m. A relative confirmed his identity.
Later in the afternoon, the body of 15-year-old Jaren Pahilagao was found by a construction worker, floating near the Matab-ang riverbank around 2:30 p.m.
The two victims were among the three minors who drowned in a river at Barangay Mandalagan, where they went swimming along with three others, who survived the tragedy.
According to Cabrillos’s 13-year-old brother, the victim saved him by pushing him to the riverbank before the strong river current brought about by heavy rains swept him away.
“Gapasalamat gid ako sa iya nga ginluwas niya ako,” the survivor said.
Cabrillos was supposed to celebrate his 17th birthday today, July 18, 2020.
Despite their loss, the victim’s younger brother said that they are still planning to celebrate the birthday of his elder sibling.
“Ma celebrate kami tani bisan gamay lang para malipay man siya,” he said, adding that the victim is his closest sibling among the four of them.
“Gina upod niya gid ko na bisan diin siya magkadto. Siya gid na pinaka close ko sa amon,” he said.
Last Thursday, Cabrillos’s friend Janet Rodriguez, 16, was also found dead at the same river, which is connected to a river at Barangay Mandalagan where the drowning incident happened.
