MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has found that TV network GMA has committed three violations on work safety that led to the accident and eventual death of award-winning actor and director Eddie Garcia last June.
During the House Appropriations committee’s hearing last Wednesday on the Labor department’s proposed Php14.42-billion budget next year, Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas asked DOLE for updates on its probe regarding Garcia’s accident.
DOLE National Capital Region director Sarah Buena Mirasol then shared their findings.
According to Mirasol, the department has found that GMA and its contractors committed the following violations: failure to submit an incident report within 24 hours; no safety officer during the time of the taping and the accident; and inability to provide a first aid responder on the set.
When Brosas asked if DOLE has imposed penalties for such violations, DOLE did not provide an answer.
Mirasol explained the TV network has asked for an extension in sending their answer to the findings.
GMA and DOLE, she said, already scheduled a conference on September 16, before the department can release a resolution.
Under Republic Act No. 11058 or the Occupational Safety and Health law, employers, contractors and subcontractors who expose employees to serious injury, illness or death due to their failure to follow occupational health standards can be fined Php100,000 daily until the violation has been addressed.
It can be recalled that Eddie tripped in a cable wire and broke his neck while taping a gun fight scene in Tondo, Manila, for the now-shelved GMA series, “Rosang Agimat.” He was in a comatose state for over a week before passing away last June 20 at 90 years old.
Following Garcia’s death, GMA released a statement in June, saying: "It has been the network’s practice to have medical personnel and ambulance crew on standby whenever the production is executing big action scenes during taping. This has been likewise the practice of other GMA programs."
According to the network, it has completed its own probe on the accident, but will release the findings to the actor’s family first before sharing it to the public.