Killed construction workers had no safety gear – probers

The five construction workers killed when the fire wall of the Gaisano Capital building they were constructing collapsed were not wearing hard hats and had no safety harnesses when they were dug out of the rubble, the Cebu City Disaster Coordinating Council (CCDC) said in its initial report.

“This was the reason why the victims suffered head injuries and hemorrhage. Ug duna untay hard hats, ma minusan unta ang ilang injuries,” said Councilor Gerardo Carillo, CDCC chair.

A safety engineer was also not present to monitor the progress of the construction project when the accident happened, Carillo said quoting results of the CCDCC investigation.

Carillo said a representative of CYC Construction, the building contractor, told CCDCC investigators they had safety gears but their workers were too lazy to wear them.

“Our findings will be consolidated along with the investigation results of the structural engineers of OBO (Office of the Building Official) and the engineer hired by the owner to investigate how and why the accident happened,” he added.

OBO structural engineers will start today a deeper onsite investigation of the incident.

“The initial findings that were collected by OBO’s Architect Florante Catalan and Engineers Mario Rondez on the day of the incident were only those that they can easily see even if they are assessing it outside looking into the collapsed side of the building,” Engr Josefa Ylanan of OBO said.

Based on the initial findings, it was found that the fire wall was higher than what they had approved and the concrete might have been under cured.

“We could not give any other additional information unless we already have the official structural report. Anytime this week, the report could be available but in the meantime, it is very important that the contractor should secure the area in order for the investigation to go swiftly,” she said.

Although today is a holiday, Catalan and Rondez will proceed with the investigation.

Carillo said construction would remain suspended until OBO completes its investigation of the structural integrity of the building.

He said that based on the CCDCC investigation, they found that a day before the collapse, some workers noticed that debris were falling from the concrete wall.

“Ug duna pay safety engineer, dili na unta ipadayon ang trabaho,” he said.

Carillo said the bamboo scaffolding which the workers used added weight to the concrete wall to which it was attached.“Tungod siguro kay wala nila maayo pagka cure (ang cemento) mao nga ni hulpa,” he said.

Carillo said they would submit to the City Legal Office the results of the CCDCC investigation. He said it would be up to the legal office to determine if CYC could he held criminally, civilly or administratively liable for the death and injury of their workers.

He said conviction may result in the revocation of the licenses issued to the engineer in charge of the construction work and even the company.

“The city government can act as the complainant in any case which we would file against them,” said Carillo.

As this developed, widows of the construction workers killed appealed to CYC Construction to give them jobs aside from cash aid so they can provide for the needs of their children.

The families of the victims relied on the income of the construction workers who earned P145 to P190 daily.

CYC Construction, the contractor hired to construct the Gaisano Capital building in barangay Tisa, Cebu City, vowed to give P100,000 to each family of the victims.

Elvie, wife of Argie Ceniza, said she personally talked to CYC Construction to provide her with a job. She is scheduled to give birth to their first child this month.

Argie was one of the five construction workers killed when the firewall of the Gaisano building collapsed past 1 a.m on Wednesday. Five workers were also injured.

Aside from Argie, the other fatalities were identified as brothers Deonny, 30, and Christian Delan, 37; Lyndon Melendrez, Teodolfo Detumal. All the fatalities died on the spot.

The Delans brothers have two children each, said their father Jesus.

Jesus hopes the CYC management will provide jobs to his two daughters-in-law so they can raise their children.

The dead workers were brought on Wednesday night to their hometown in Carmen town.

The family of the victims earlier said they would not file charges against CYC management over the accident.

SPO2 Jay Yballe, chief investigator of homicide section of Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), said they had already invited officials of CYC Construction to give their side on the incident.

The homicide section will look into the criminal liability of the CYC management.

Yballe said he already sent an invitation to Charlie Yu Chui, the owner of the company, Engr. Nesito Caldoza, the building engineer, and Jesryl Villena, the foreman.

However, Yballe said the management had asked them for more time before they would appear.

Yballe said they would also invite relatives of the victims after the burial to ask whether they would file a complaint against the building contractor. –Edison delos Angeles, Chito O. Aragon, Cebu Daily News