After visiting victims of typhoon “Ompong” in Benguet and Isabela, Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go on Wednesday extended assistance to the families of the two children who were found dead near the Tullahan River in Valenzuela City.
The two children who were reported missing along with two other playmates on September 16 after being washed away by the strong current of the Tullahan River were identified as Kerby Tejadilla, 10, and Jillian Salud, 10.
Meanwhile, the search operation for the third missing child, Rheniel Tejadilla, 13, continues.
The fourth child, Joshua Nel Casing, 11, was able to hold on to a tree and was later pulled out by construction workers.
“To the two families of the victims, I told them that the government has housing programs. Aside from that, we will also give some cash assistance. President [Rodrigo] Duterte extends his sympathy to the bereaved families,” Go said.
“The parents want their two children to be buried next to each other. We will shoulder the burial expenses in a private cemetery,” he added.
The local government of Valenzuela through its mayor Rexlon T. Gatchalian also provided burial assistance worth P30,000 to each victim’s family.
During Go’s visit to the wake, a concerned resident of Valenzuela said construction workers repairing a bridge in the city might have been negligent.
Go said he would communicate with the officials of Department of Public Works and Highways to find out if the workers were liable for the incident.