CITOM wants construction firm blacklisted

CEBU, Philippines - The City Traffic Operations Management has passed a resolution proposing to blacklist a construction firm that allegedly failed to put up proper barriers on a construction work along A. Soriano Ave. at the North Reclamation Area in Cebu City, which caused the death of a policeman.

CITOM board chairman Sylvan “Jack” Jakosalem said they have submitted the resolution to blacklist JJ&J Construction, which was working on a city government road project. 

The Office of the City Mayor, the City Council as well as the city legal office were furnished with copies of the proposed resolution.

Jakosalem said that CITOM and the city government have always been stern with construction companies, especially those working on the roads, to put up appropriate warning signs in order to prevent accidents. He said the warning signs should be properly lit, reflectorized and visible even at night.

Around 9 p.m. last Nov. 30, Insp. Reinerio Pareja Cortes, 50, deputy chief of the Mandaue City Mobile Group Division, drove his motorcycle into a concrete barrier which was allegedly poorly lit.

Cortes was brought to the Cebu Doctor’s Hospital in critical condition after hitting his head hard on the pavement and later died on Dec. 3.

Jakosalem said what made Cortes’ death ironic was that he was the night shift supervisor of the City Public Safety Company.

He added that they are also investigating other construction companies on whether or not safety measures are being followed. 

Jakosalem also encouraged the public to report to them any road violations like the lack of signs in road construction projects so they can immediately check on it.

Complaints can be e-mailed to [email protected], photos of road violations are also encouraged.

Mandaue City Police Office Director Sr. Supt Noel Gillamac said that he will be talking to the family of Cortes after the burial if they want to file a case against the construction company.

He said that so far the family is still busy with the preparations, “But after, if they decide to pursue with a case, then we would support them morally and financially.”

Gillamac said that they have provided financial assistance to the family of Cortes, P10,000 was initially released when Cortes was still comatose and another P10,000 will be provided. This is through the Mandaue City Police Cooperative of which Cortes was a member.

Aside from this, Gillamac said that it is standard operating procedure that policemen shell out a little amount if they lose one of their own. He said that they might raise another P20,000 from the 348 policemen in Mandaue City.  (FREEMAN)