Following the incident on Saturday at the East Service Road, Muntinlupa that claimed one life and injured 4 persons, the DOLE issued a work stoppage order stating that the accident is proof that the construction site is hazardous not only for workers but also the public.
In a public briefing, DOLE Occupational Safety and Health Center Executive Director Noel Binag stated that the fallen steel girder incident will be investigated thoroughly. If it is proven that the site lacks compliance with the safety protocol, the project contractor, EEI Corp., will be charged with negligence resulting in homicide. The company will also face an administrative case or will be fined from ₱20,000 to ₱100,000.
“Kaya kapag may nangyaring ganitong mga sakuna, responsibilidad iyan ng may-ari, employer. Lahat, whether civil liability or administrative liability, sila ang mananagot riyan. (When there’s an incident like this, it is the responsibility of the owner, employer. Everyone, whether civil liability or administrative liability, all of them will be held liable).”
Binag also made it clear that the local government unit (LGU), traffic enforcer, and safety officer will be held accountable as well since it is their responsibility to ensure the safety of the working environment.
“There was no crowd control during the actual operation [of the] crane. Wala tayong nakikitang mga traffic enforcer, mga signages. Wala man lang nagsabi na ‘di muna pwedeng dumaan. (We did not see any traffic enforcer, signages. Nobody even bothered to say that it is closed).”
Meanwhile, Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime Fresnedi called a meeting with the contractors and other parties involved in the incident to clarify the issue. – Report from Allan Francisco