Chaos at Talisay City Hall cash counter: 1 dead

A 67-year-old job order employee died while claiming his salary at the Talisay City Hall Thursday afternoon.

Agripino Oyua, a garbage collector, was one of at least 1,500 job order employees who lined up at the cash division to claim their salary, said Vincie Monterde, the city’s public information officer.

The distribution, led by city treasurer Emma Macuto, became chaotic because of the number of the workers who crammed inside the room.  Only two personnel from the cash division were on hand.

Monterde said Oyua lost consciousness during the commotion.

He was rushed to the Talisay District Hospital but the attending physician declared him dead. The exact cause of death was not immediately known.

The incident irked Talisay Mayor Johnny V. De los Reyes, who went to the cash division office after learning about the commotion.

The mayor threatened to relieve Macuto because of the incident.

“Kaduha na nga pagpangweldo pero wa gihapo’y kausaban. Nganong sauna nga administrasyon nahimu man nga hapsay,” he said. (It was the second salary distribution and nothing has changed. How come the previous administration was able to handle it smoothly?”

The mayor, who attended the wake of Oyuan, promised to give funeral assistance to the victim’s family.