SMC apologizes to victims of Skyway mishap



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Conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) apologized Sunday to victims of the accident at the site of its Skyway extension project in Cupang, Muntinlupa.

Saturday’s crash killed one person and injured four others, most of whom were drivers crossing East Service Road.

The company’s president and chief operating officer, Ramon S. Ang, said that even if EEI Corp. is handling the construction as its contractor, SMC, as the proponent of the project, has a responsibility to care for the victims.

“Even with a contractor in charge of construction, we are ultimately responsible for the welfare of those affected. I would like to personally apologize to the victims and their families, as well as to our broader community in Muntinlupa, ”Ang said in a statement.

The accident was reportedly caused by a crane that overturned while moving into position, which then struck a steel beam causing it to fall on six vehicles, striking motorists on the road.

“This terrible and tragic accident has affected me in a way that I cannot even begin to express. I have not stopped thinking about the people who were affected, the four who were injured and most especially, the person who died, and his family. There are no words that can ease the pain of losing a loved one, ”Ang said.

“To the family, I can only offer my sincere and deepest condolences, and my personal assurance that your family will be cared for. For those who were injured, please be assured that we will provide all necessary means for them to recover and restart. “

Ang said that the incident will be fully investigated and that San Miguel and its EEI contractor will ensure that even stricter measures are put in place at the project site.

“In a project of this magnitude and scale, there are many redundant safety measures. Unfortunately, we cannot predict every outcome and I’m sure no one wanted this to happen, ”he said.

“Regardless, we are working with the authorities to determine the root cause of this incident. We will find out where the errors occurred and will do whatever it takes to help make sure they don’t happen again. “

Investigation

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said it is now investigating the incident.

The Secretary of Labor, Silvestre H. Bello III, said he has already instructed the DOLE labor inspector to verify whether the project contractor violated occupational safety and health (OSHC) standards.

“If they don’t comply, they can face responsibility,” Bello said in a telephone interview.

Under the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Republic Law 11058, or the Occupational Health and Safety Law, a company that makes mistakes can be fined between P20,000 and P50,000 daily depending on its violations.

This fine is separate from the civil and criminal cases that companies can face for its violation.

The Skyway extension is a P10 billion project that will extend the elevated highway from Susana Heights on the South Luzon Expressway to Sucat and vice versa, and will provide direct access to the elevated section of the Skyway.

It will also connect SLEX and Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway with Skyway in Susana Heights bypassing Alabang.

Due to the accident, SMC said the timeline for the completion of the extension project was delayed until February 2021.

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