ZAMBOANGA CITY — What was supposed to be an ordinary afternoon of play turned into a lifelong tragedy for an 11-year-old boy from Phase 4, Valle Vista, Barangay Kasanyangan, after he was electrocuted by a live wire linked to an illegal electricity connection.
The incident happened on June 4, 2025, near a volleyball court where the boy was playing with his 13-year-old sister and friends. According to reports, the child washed his hands in a puddle of water—unaware that a live wire had fallen and was submerged there. In an instant, a powerful electric current surged through his body, causing severe burns that led to the amputation of his private part and five fingers.
His sister tried to save him but also got electrocuted after stepping on the same live wire. Both were rushed to the hospital, but the boy’s injuries were devastating—leaving him struggling to walk, traumatized, and unable to return to school even after more than three months of confinement.
Now, their family faces enormous medical expenses while grappling with the emotional toll of the tragedy. Heartbreakingly, the people allegedly responsible for the illegal connection have yet to offer help, reportedly saying, “The child is already in the hospital.”
The Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative (ZAMCELCO) has since vowed to provide financial and legal assistance to the victim’s family. The cooperative clarified that the area had no authorized electrical line, and that certain individuals had been stealing electricity and selling it to neighbors, endangering the lives of innocent residents.
Authorities are preparing to file charges of Reckless Imprudence Resulting in Serious Physical Injury and Violation of R.A. 7832, or the Anti-Electricity and Electric Transmission Lines/Materials Pilferage Act of 1994, against those involved.
This tragedy stands as a painful reminder that illegal electricity connections are not harmless shortcuts—they are ticking time bombs. What may seem like a way to save money can end up stealing lives, dreams, and futures.
Electricity theft doesn’t just rob the system—it robs children of their innocence, families of their peace, and communities of their safety.