Press Release
December 14, 2008

Pia: Senate ready to probe 'mounting death toll' at Subic shipyard

Senate opposition member Pia S. Cayetano today pressed her call for a Senate investigation into the series of deaths of Filipino laborers due to work-related accidents and other reported causes at the shipyard of Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction (HHIC) Phils. at the Subic Bay Freeport in Zambales.

"The Senate cannot turn a blind eye to the mounting death toll especially when the agencies tasked to enforce our laws have apparently failed to perform their mandate to protect the interest of our workers," said Cayetano.

"I have personally asked our chairman of the Senate labor committee, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, to lead the probe and he has indicated that he would schedule this for a public hearing soon."

The lady senator earlier questioned the decision of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) that suspended only the subcontractor Philnorkor while sparing Hanjin from any penalties in connection with the recent deaths of two subcontracted workers, Philip Mendoza and Jose Vener Gil, last November.

"It's only right to suspend Philnorkor because it is directly in charge of hiring workers and overseeing daily work conditions at the job site."

"But how can Hanjin be entirely cleared of liability when it is the one selecting and supervising the subcontractors? Hanjin is aware that all these accidents and deaths have been occurring the past two years, but has it done anything to make its subcontractors comply with all occupational safety regulations?"

Gil is reportedly the 15th to die in work-related accidents at the shipyard, while Mendoza is the second to die in traffic-related accidents. But reports reaching Cayetano's office indicate that many more workers have also died due to illness, particularly malaria.

In her interpellation of the proposed 2009 budget of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in plenary last week, the lady senator took to task the labor department for failing to investigate and penalize those responsible for the unusually large number of accidents and deaths at the shipyard. Finance committee Edgardo Angara, who was the defending the DOLE budget, promised the agency will submit its report on the incidents soon.

Also at the budget deliberations, Cayetano questioned other government agencies, particularly the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), for failing to act on other reported irregularities at the free port.

She questioned DENR for failing to censure SBMA which allowed Hanjin to proceed with the construction of its two high-rise condominiums in the middle of the Subic forest even without first securing an Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC) from the SBMA ecology department.

She cited a similar and more recent incident involving the Oceans 9 casino and hotel project which would have reportedly uprooted 366 trees if not for the revelation of urban planner of world-renowned urban planner Felino "Jun" Palafox. The latter had earlier rejected undertaking the project, which also had yet to secure an ECC, due to its environmental impact.

Cayetano noted that there are at least three resolutions pending in the Senate on controversies at the free port, namely: Philippine Senate Resolution 796 ("Resolution directing the proper Senate committee to investigate, in aid of legislation, alleged possible violations in the Subic-casino resort project") and PSR 520 ("Resolution directing the proper Senate committee to investigate, in aid of legislation, the alleged proliferation of deaths, sometimes resulting to death, at the Hanjin shipyard in Subic") both by Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, and PSR 481 ("Resolution directing the Senate committee on environment to conduct an investigation, in aid of legislation, into the environmental impact of the government-approved construction of a 300-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Redondo Peninsula, Subic Bay Freeport which is opposed by environmental, business, tourism and business organizations") by Sen. Jamby Madrigal.

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