Grief, anger over death of child at NAIA

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May 6, 2025 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — As investigations continue on last Sunday’s tragedy at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, social media users have expressed outrage, raising questions over the structures meant to protect pedestrians at the airport.

In 2019, the Manila International Airport Authority announced the installation of steel bollards worth P8 million, aimed at preventing ramming incidents. However, the barriers reportedly gave way during the crash.

Due to this, stakeholders, including legal professionals, political commentators and educators, have urged authorities to ensure accountability not only from the driver but also from institutions responsible for public safety infrastructure.

“Corruption kills,” lawyer Alman-Najar Namla posted online. “If things had been built properly – with integrity, with quality, with the genuine intention to protect – that child might still be alive.”

“It doesn’t always wear a uniform or hold a weapon. Sometimes, it looks like a weak foundation and crumbling concrete. Sometimes, it hides behind procurement papers and signed clearances,” he added.

The incident came just days after a separate crash along the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway killed 10 individuals and injured over 30.

At the center of Sunday’s tragedy is Danmark Masongsong, an overseas worker whose desperate cries – “Anak ko’yan! Anak ko ’yan!” – still echo through the memories of those who witnessed his heartbreak.

Just minutes before the crash, Mark had lovingly hugged his four-year-old daughter, Malia Kates Yuchen Gayeta Masongsong, one last time. It was supposed to be a temporary goodbye. He was heading back abroad after a three-week vacation – the longest time he had ever spent with her after more than two years of being apart. Moments later, his world crashed.

He received a call from a relative about the incident and immediately rushed out of the airport’s departure area. There, he found his child’s small frame, crumpled and unrecognizable on the pavement. What should have been a routine send-off turned into a nightmare, filled with grief and senseless loss.

His wife, Cynthia, is now in critical condition and still unaware of their daughter’s death, according to Mark’s sister, Donna Masongsong.

“The father is still in shock and unable to speak properly. He refuses to eat and keeps crying. His wife became critical yesterday due to internal bleeding in her spleen. She has undergone surgery. Because of her condition, we still haven’t told her that their daughter is gone,” Donna told The STAR.

Donna, who is currently based in Singapore, returned to the Philippines upon hearing of the incident to support her younger brother.

“We kept telling him over and over to stay strong for his wife,” she said.

His mother, 61-year-old Editha, and a seven-year-old niece are also injured and still recovering.

A few feet away from Malia Kate’s lifeless body was Dearick Keo Faustino, 29, from Bulacan, who had just stepped out of a company van when tragedy struck. He was about to fly to Dubai with colleagues, part of his growing responsibilities as a newly promoted senior supervisor in a publishing firm.

He was a quiet man who let his actions speak, his family says – helping put his siblings through school, caring for his aging father and quietly working toward his dream.

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said it is extending full support to Masongsong.

In a statement, the DMW said it is ready to assist Masongsong in explaining his sudden absence to his foreign employer and pledged all necessary help for his grieving family.

The agency also expressed solidarity with the family’s call for justice and prayed for the recovery of Masongsong’s wife, Cynthia, who remains in critical condition, and his mother, Editha, who has been declared out of danger.

The SUV driver, Leo Gonzales, 47, has undergone drug and alcohol testing, which turned out negative. His driver’s license has been suspended for 90 days. Authorities are still determining liability and reviewing security protocols at the airport. — Mayen Jaymalin