GENERAL SANTOS CITY – A tragic and heartbreaking incident shocked residents of Barangay Labangal on Tuesday afternoon, August 20, 2025, after a 12-year-old girl lost her life to a grenade explosion while simply trying to earn a living.
The victim, identified as Angel Malayon Malid, an out-of-school youth from Purok Mudia Extension, Zone 4, had been collecting scrap metal and plastic to sell when she unknowingly picked up a live grenade. She later brought it home and, while playing on a swing under a tree, the explosive went off, killing her instantly.
Police investigators led by Police Major Miguel Angelo Quidilla confirmed that Angel sustained fatal shrapnel wounds from the blast. Her young life was cut short in a horrifying instant — a grim reminder of the dangers lurking in communities where poverty forces children to scavenge for survival.
Neighbors and residents were left in shock, mourning a life too young to be lost in such a violent manner. The tragic death has sparked anger and questions: How could a deadly explosive end up in the hands of a child? Where did it come from? And why are children left to risk their lives in search of scraps instead of being safe in schools and playgrounds?
Authorities continue to investigate the origin of the grenade, but for Angel’s family and community, the answers may come too late. What remains is the image of a little girl whose dreams and future were stolen in an instant — a casualty not just of an explosion, but of neglect, poverty, and systemic failure.