EDSA accident victims get financial aid

Mandaluyong City Mayor Benjamin "Benhur" Abalos Jr. extended yesterday P20,000 each in financial assistance to the victims of the vehicular accident that left nine people dead and five hurt last Saturday.

Abalos also directed Conrad Anciado, head of the city engineering office, to conduct a probe to determine whether the developer and contractor of the 30-story building development project had any civil liability. A jeepney plunged into a 70-foot hole at the construction site after losing control on EDSA near the Boni Avenue station of the MRT last All Saints’ Day.

Anciado will submit his findings to Abalos today.

Odette Galino, Abalos’ spokeperson, said the money would help defray funeral and hospital expenses of the victims, all residents of Muntinlupa City. Relatives of the victims will receive the money from Abalos during simple rites today at City Hall.

"Mayor Abalos was the first to rush to the scene to supervise rescue operations," Galino said. "The good mayor even shouldered the hospitalization expense of the five survivors."

Superintendent Ericson Velasquez, Mandaluyong City police chief, said two of the survivors — Daniel Destura, 7, and Reggie Abella, 23, were released yesterday from the Victor Potenciano Medical Center, where they were treated for bone fractures. Three others — Ronald Falleria, 38, Divine Guiab, 14 and Clarence Destura, 5, are still under observation.

Those who died in the accident were Reynaldo Destura, the driver, his mother, Salvacion, 61, his son, Ryan, 9; Romulo Tacatani; Ernesto Ricamara and his wife, Ignacia; Elizabeth Galang, 42; Veronica Guiab, 47; and Francis Tugade.

Velasquez said the group had just attended the "Gawaing Born Again" prayer rally in Quezon City and were on their way home.

Daniel told Velasquez the jeepney was traveling at high speed along the yellow lane of EDSA, intended for passenger buses, when the vehicle lost its brakes at about 8:30 p.m.

The driver tried desperately to regain control of the vehicle which was swerving violently, Daniel said. The driver maneuvered the jeepney toward a galvanized iron fence at the site, thinking the impact would stop the wayward vehicle. But the fence gave way and the jeepney fell into the pit.

"Nagsigawan kami sa loob nang ibangga niya ito sa bakod na yero," Daniel said.

Before the impact, the boy said he held tightly to a railing inside the vehicle and closed his eyes. "Hindi ko na alam kung ano na ang nangyari," he told the investigator.

When he regained consciousness minutes later, Daniel said he couldn’t move his right thigh.

A team from the city government and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) lifted him out of the debris along with the other victims.

Abella told police a similar story. He said he survived by clinging to another railing inside the jeepney.

When reached by The Star yesterday, Anciado said initial investigations conducted at the site revealed that the developer, Globe Asiatique Corp. and the contractor have complied with safety measures. "The fence was supported by iron railings from inside. It so happens that both collapsed due to the strong impact of the passenger jeepney," he said.

Absolved

MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando absolved the realty firm as well as the Home Mutual Development Fund (HDMF) of any culpability in last Saturday’s accident.

According to Fernando, a licensed civil engineer, the company did not commit any sin of omission by not having stronger barriers at their construction site if provisions of the National Building Code are to be used as a gauge of any culpability.

"There’s nothing in the Code that calls for any restraints to be constructed," Fernando said. The MMDA chief, who himself owned a construction company in the past, said such barriers and restraints are not put up in construction sites as a safety precaution against wayward vehicles but are meant to protect people.

Fernando stressed that to put up stronger barriers at construction sites against vehicles was not practical. However, the MMDA chief, who served a short stint as Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) secretary, said they want the DPWH to take note of the accident to find possible changes in the National Building Code.

"We’ll ask the DPWH to review the National Building Code," Fernando said. He noted that the EDSA mishap was the only blot in the otherwise peaceful observance of All Saints’ Day.