Rescuers have extricated the body of a male victim from the collapsed under-construction building in Barangay Balibago, Angeles City at 5:45 a.m. on Thursday, May 28, 2026, raising the death toll to five.
The victim’s body was first located at around 6:18 p.m. on Wednesday through the assistance of K9 dogs from the Philippine Coast Guard at Sector 1 of the collapsed structure.
The recovery of the fifth body came four days after the building collapsed on Sunday, May 24.
Superintendent Maria Leah Sajili, BFP Central Luzon director, said some 15 individuals remain missing as rescue and retrieval operations continue at the disaster site.
Death toll in Balibago building collapse rises to 5.
Angeles City Mayor Carmelo “Jon” Lazatin II said the body was transported by the City Health Office at a 8:03 a.m. on Thursday for Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) procedures.
Lazatin said a cellular phone was recovered from the area where the victim was found.
The device was turned over to the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO).
Authorities continue to conduct rescue, retrieval, and clearing operations at the collapse site.
Operations remain under the Unified Command Management Option, with Lazatin serving as the Responsible Officer.
The cause of the building collapse is under investigation, the mayor said.
Earlier, Lazatin called on the contractor and owner of the collapsed building to surface and cooperate with authorities. | via Charlene Cayabyab and Tristan Jingco
