MALL CONSTRUCTION TRAGEDY: CCPO bent on filing charges against CYC Construction

CEBU, Philippines – Personnel of the Cebu City Police Office will head to Carmen to get the affidavits of the families of the construction workers killed and injured in last week’s tragedy in Barangay Tisa.

CCPO Director Senior Supt. Patrocinio Comendador said the victims’ families were not able to appear before CCPO to issue their affidavits following the burial of their departed love ones on Monday.

Because of this, he directed personnel of the homicide section to get the affidavits of the family members for the possible filing of charges against CYC Construction.

The firm has employed the five construction workers who died when the firewall of the Gaisano Capital mall in Barangay Tisa collapsed a week ago. Six others were injured in the incident.

Comendador said the family might not pursue pressing charges against Charlie Yu Chiu, owner of the construction firm, but CCPO will still file the case because the incident was a public crime.

Comendador said they will evaluate the evidences they already have if they are not able to secure affidavits from the families within the week.

Chiu also failed to appear before CCPO yesterday despite invitation for him to shed light on the incident.

Comendador said the Office of the Building Official (OBO) has not yet to forward its findings.

Meanwhile, TUCP Partylist lamented incidents like that in Barangay Tisa could be prevented if only constructed sites are inspected properly and constructions comply with safety and health standards.

TUCP Rep. Raymond Democrito Mendoza questioned whether the construction site was ever inspected, considering that the workers thereat wore no hard hats and no other safety measures were reportedly in place when the accident happened.

“The Labor Standards Enforcement Framework (LSEF), through self-assessment (SA) or through proper inspections, could have exposed faulty health and safety practices,” Mendoza said in a press statement to The Freeman.

He said CYC Construction should have conducted self-inspection with the participation of workers.

“Workers can identify hazards in their workplaces and they can suggest improvements to avoid or minimize such hazards. The DOLE should have the results of the self-inspection every year and during the first quarter of the year,” he added.

The Freeman tried to contact DOLE regional director Elias Cayanong for comments, but he was not available yesterday.

Earlier reports quoted TUCP as saying it has recorded 41 deaths and six injuries in 20 workplace incidents from January to March 2010 nationwide. Eleven of those killed were involved in four construction accidents.

Mendoza emphasized that workers have largely contributed to the growth of the regional economy and therefore deserve to have a modest share of the fruits of economic development.

“The quality of life of workers must improve as the economy grows. That is the real meaning of equitable development”, said Mendoza. (FREEMAN NEWS) –Niña G. Sumacot, Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon and JMO (The Freeman)