Ni Calvin D. Cordova
Sinuspinde ng Office of the Building Official (OBO) ng Cebu City ang mga proyekto ng J.E. Abraham C. Lee Construction and Development Inc., kasunod ng pagguho ng bunkhouse ng kumpanya na ikinasawi ng limang obrero at ikinasugat ng 57 iba pa sa Barangay Lahug sa siyudad, nitong Martes ng madaling araw.
Ibinaba ang suspensiyon makaraang madiskubre ng OBO na ilegal ang pagkakatayo at hindi maaaring tirahan ang nasabing bunkhouse.
“There was an old bunkhouse in the same area but it was demolished. It was replaced by this bunkhouse which was constructed in September 2015 but we didn’t issue a permit for its construction,” sinabi ni Engr. Yosefa Ylanan sa press briefing nitong Martes ng hapon.
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Nilinaw ni Ylanan na kailangan ng permit sa pagtatayo ng mga pansamantalang istruktura tulad ng bunkhouse.
“A bunkhouse should have amenities. It should have a comfort room and a kitchen but we didn’t find one.
It had no strong foundation because it was made of scaffolds. Hence, the structure was built for purposes other than being habituated. It was an illegal structure,” ani Ylanan.
Kinilala ang limang nasawi sa insidente na sina Iveen Villarin, 23; Jason Bacalso, 22, kapwa ng Bgy. Langtad, City of Naga; Francisco Diapera, 45, ng Bgy. Lutopan, Toledo City, Cebu; Carlos Caliwa, 61, ng Manjuyod, Negros Oriental; at Crisenciano Silomen, 57, taga-Trinidad, Bohol.
Iniimbestigahan na rin ng mga awtoridad ang permit to operate ng kumpanya makaraang matuklasan na nakarehistro ito bilang developer at hindi bilang construction firm, at hindi nag-renew ng lisensiya simula noong 2001.
Nagsasagawa ng case conference ang Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) at ang construction company habang sinusulat ang balitang ito.
Inako na ng kumpanya ang lahat ng responsibilidad sa insidente.
