Employers of underage gondola collapse victim liable for child abuse

MANILA, Philippines –  The employer of a 17-year-old worker killed when a gondola collapsed at a construction site in Makati City is liable for child abuse, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said Wednesday.

DOLE Undersecretary Lourdes Transmonte, who heads the agency’s team investigating the incident, said they confirmed Kevin Mabunga was a minor who had been hired by EM Piñon Glazing Co., a subcontractor hired by Arlo Glass and Aluminum Inc. “Basically Arlo is liable... Piñon is a local contractor of Arlo,” she said.

DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said Mabunga’s family in Marinduque would be the first to receive assistance from the agency. She said the families of the nine other workers who died in the accident at the Eton Residences condominium building would be given a livelihood assistance package and scholarships for their children.

She said the DOLE will also determine “the extent of liabilities of the victims’ employers and to ensure that the latter will pay once their liabilities are clearly established.

DOLE will require condominium owner Eton Properties’ staff and workers to undergo occupational safety and health training as well as a general labor standards orientation.