Antipolo mayor orders probe of wall collapse

The Antipolo City government has ordered an investigation into the collapse of a perimeter wall near a mall on Wednesday that killed one person and injured five others to determine if the contractor should be held accountable for the tragedy.

Mon Gallanosa, administration officer of the Public Information Office, told the Inquirer that a team from the City Engineering Office had been sent to check if Nexus, a building contractor,    had been negligent in installing the necessary safety measures, and should   be held liable for the death of Allan Plutado, and for injuries sustained by five other workers on the site.

Plutado, together with  Crispin Bruan, 50; John John Caparro, 19; Dexter Anthony Agullo, 24; Anthony Mark Guinocor, 19; and a 17-year-old laborer,  were digging the foundation for a commercial billboard to be built on Marcos Highway around 9 a.m., when the wall beside nearby SM Masinag collapsed on them.

Plutado was declared dead on arrival in the hospital.

The others were rushed to Antipolo Medical Center, but have since been transferred to another medical facility, according to Joey Marco, officer in charge of the City Disaster Risk Reduction Office.

The next move of the local government would depend on the results of the engineering department’s technical assessment report.

“If the report says the contractor should be held liable for negligence, the local government will assist the family in filing the appropriate charges should they decide to do this,” Marco said.

Expenses

He added that Nexus had, so far, been paying for the medical bills of the five workers.

The contractor also took care of Plutado’s burial expenses.

Meanwhile, in a statement, Mayor Nilo Leyble said the local government would also provide assistance to the victims’ families.

“The local government of Antipolo is doing all it can to help the victims. Although the building is a private project, the city government is ready to help them,” Leyble said.

In the meantime, Marcos said construction activities in the area have been  stopped.