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Labor and Employment Sec. Silvestre Bello III. Senate PRIB file photo / Henzberg Austria
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III on Monday ordered EEI Corp., the contractor for the Skyway extension project, to halt all construction work until further notice to make way for a safety inspection following Saturday’s accident left by a motorist. dead and six others injured.
Initially, the work stoppage order issued by the Department of Labor and Employment’s National Capital Region (Dole-NCR) office covered only the Muntinlupa part of the project where the accident occurred.
However, Bello ordered the entire project to be halted, prompting Dole-NCR Director Sarah Mirasol to issue a new order to halt construction not only in the affected area, but throughout the entire extension project of Skyway, the Sucat-Alabang viaduct.
He called representatives of the contractor and subcontractors for a hearing at 10 am Tuesday at Dole’s field office in the city of Las Piñas to determine if the work stoppage order should be lifted.
Another labor official said the project owner and contractor were responsible for the accident as they did not “identify the hazards.”
Dole Center for Occupational Health and Safety Executive Director Noel Binag said in an online briefing that prior to any construction, the project owner and contractor should hold meetings to identify potential workplace hazards and carry out the necessary adjustments and controls.
He noted that there was no crowd control during the crane operation even though it was being done on a public road. There were also no traffic officers or signs telling motorists or pedestrians not to pass through the area, he added.
In a meeting Monday at City Hall, Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime Fresnedi told Skyway proponent San Miguel Corp. and contractor EEI Corp. to submit a full report explaining the cause of a beam collapse. of steel, which fell on several vehicles on East Service Road. .
“You must get in shape and ensure stricter adherence to workplace safety and safe operating procedures, especially in high-risk areas with high traffic,” he warned.
Fresnedi urged them to take responsibility and provide assistance to the families of the victims.
The city government learned that construction work on East Service Road in Barangay Cupang, in particular the installation of the steel beams on Saturday, had not been properly coordinated with the Muntinlupa Traffic Management Office.
A police report said that a crane operated by Enrico Gregorio, 41, lost “its balance due to [the] uneven pavement and his arm hit the steel beam. “
The beam then fell on seven passing motor vehicles. The only wounded man, Edison Paquibot, was pronounced dead upon arrival at the Alabang Medical Clinic.
Paquibot’s family has vowed to press charges against the companies involved. The 42-year-old victim left behind a 4-year-old boy.
His wife, Marilou, urged authorities to investigate the guilt of those involved at the construction site.
Gregorio was taken into custody at the city police station on charges of murder, multiple physical injuries and property damage. –With reports from Leila B. Salaverria and Dexter Cabalza INQ
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