AUTHORITIES are looking into the death of an administrative aide who reportedly fell off the Mabini Building in the Malacanang complex, Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said yesterday.
Angeles said the Presidential Security Group and PNP are investigating the death of Mario Castro, an administrative aide at the Information Communications Technology Office under the Deputy Executive Secretary for Finance and Accounting who reportedly fell from the fourth floor of the building.
No other details about the incident were available as of yesterday.
“We are sad to report that this morning, Mr. Mario Castro… He died from an apparent fall from the fourth floor of Mabini Hall which is located inside Malacañang Compound,” Angeles said.
Angeles said Malacanang sent its profound sorrow and condolences to the family of Castro and vowed to provide assistance to his family.
She said the wife of Castro is “currently cooperating in the investigation.”
“We will do whatever we can to help the family,” Angeles said.
Meanwhile, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is looking to intensify compliance to occupational safety and health standards (OSHS) in the wake of the recent death of two workers doing maintenance work in a Makati building.
In a televised public briefing Thursday, Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said he wants OSHS inspection activities heightened to ensure strict compliance by business establishments.
“We will be giving a firm and clear instruction to our inspectors in the workplace regarding this,” said Laguesma. “We must make sure that there will be adherence and compliance to the basic requirements that shall ensure the safety and health of our workers.”
The labor chief made special mention of the construction sector, which is considered a high-risk industry.
“We will especially look into the construction industry. We need to make sure that their workers are fully provided with personal protective equipment,” said Laguesma.
He said he has long been an advocate of occupational safety and health since his first term as DOLE chief during the Estrada administration.
“We should make sure that the health and safety of our workers will not be put in danger,” said Laguesma.
The directive comes on the heels of the death of two workers when the passenger elevator of Burgundy Corporate Tower in Makati City they were working on collapsed.
Based on the inspection of the DOLE-National Capital Region, no less than 15 violations of the OSHS were found in the elevator works in the building. — With Gerard Naval
