A CONSTRUCTION company earlier reported in the BusinessMirror online edition on Sept. 24, 2019 as the one contracted for the botched demolition activities of a budget hotel in Manila, which killed two workers, has protested the reference to it.
Law firm Divina Law said verification from Manila’s Building Official “shows that the contractor involved is Golden Breeze Realty, not our client,” referring to Momentum Development and Construction Corporation.
A follow-up story in BusinessMirror online on Sept. 25, headlined, “DOLE finds host of violations in Hotel Sogo demolition, orders work stoppage,” had reported a different contractor this time: “The demolition activity in Malate, Manila was being managed by Fabellon Construction and Development Corporation for Golden Breeze Realty, Inc. (Hotel Sogo Mabini).”
Momentum’s name cropped up in the earlier (Sept. 24) article via a remark by the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) in the story, “DOLE: Contractor in budget hotel collapse in Manila may face fines.”
The BusinessMirror reported online on September 24 that the “Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said it is now mulling imposing fines against the contractor of a budget hotel in Manila after its demolition activities killed two of its workers.”
The story continued: “Based from his initial assessment on the incident, Labor assistant secretary Benjo M. Benavidez said the contractor of Sogo Hotel could be made to pay a fine of P100,000 under the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Law since its workers died in the workplace.
“The labor official, however, said they would still have to check other details of the incident before they decide on the possible liability of the contractor.”
BusinessMirror further quoted Benavidez saying, as he guested at the BusinessMirror Coffee Club forum, “Our inspectors already went there [demolition site] yesterday [Monday]…we would still have to assess their findings.”
He noted that the contractor had the necessary construction safety and health program (CHSP), although it expired last Sunday. “But this [validity of CHSP] could be extended. The important thing we are looking at is if it was implemented correctly,” Benavidez said.
In the same Sept. 24 story, the TUCP said the construction-related death revealed the gaps in the government’s regulations for construction sites.
“This fatal Sogo construction site mishap multiple deaths shows the repeating cycle of how city hall building permit officials and the Labor department regional officers are negligent in conducting onsite inspection and worksite visits before or after issuing building and demolition permits to building owners and contractors,” TUCP President Raymond Mendoza said in a statement.
In the subsequent paragraph, Mendoza then named Momentum as the contractor.
The Sept. 24 post with the erroneous reference to Momentum has since been taken down, and is replaced by this clarificatory story.
Image credits: Nonie Reyes