By Paulo Loreto Lim

Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Negros Occidental Field Office chief Mary Agnes N. Capigon yesterday noted the Makati Development Corporation, contractor for the under construction Capitol Central Mall, which saw a portion of the structure collapse over the weekend, is requesting the DOLE-implemented work stoppage order be lifted.

“There is a violation because two workers died,” she explained. “We have to evaluate everything first.”

According to Capigon, so far, the investigation revealed the construction site had been experiencing power interruptions, which forced workers to come up and down the structure, resulting in the two fatalities failing to hook up body harnesses; along with weaknesses found in the scaffolding.

Based on initial reports by Police Regional Office-6 (PRO-6), around 1:00 a.m. last Saturday, workers Doddy Boy Mallorca and Heracleo Abraham were pouring cement on the sixth floor when scaffolding and beams collapsed./PLL, WDJ