Alleged telephone line thief badly injured after getting electrocuted

While allegedly attempting to steal a length of telephone wire from a post in Manila's Sampaloc district early Monday morning, a would-be thief was found hanging from a tree, badly electrocuted.

According to Emil Sumangil's report on "24 Oras," the alleged thief had clambered up the tree to saw off the length of telephone wire.

"Sunog na sunog siya doon. Buhay pa siya. Buhay pa, nagsasalita pa siya, tinatawag niya nanay niya," recounted Barangay 473-Manila Chairman Luis Domingo.

(He was burned badly. He was alive. Alive and talking, calling for his mother.)

The alleged thief was in critical condition in hospital, while his supposed accomplice was nowhere to be found.

"Kunwari scavenger sila pero iba ang layunin nila. Kahit may tanod diyan, tingnan niyo yan. Kaya nire-request ko bawasan ng kaunti yung mga punong laylayan, sa baba. Para nakikita nga camera. Abot na abot ng camera yung taong nagtatago diyan," added Domingo.

(These thieves pretend to be scavengers, but they're really up to no good. Even with a watchman around, see what happens? That's why I've been asking for these trees to be trimmed so security cameras can see what's going on.)

— DVM, GMA News