CEBU CITY – The National Bureau of Investigation-Central Visayas (NBI-7) has been asked to investigate the death of a job order (JO) employee of the municipal government of Dalaguete in southern Cebu.
COUPLE Mengdred and Marjoe Gegremosa on Tuesday, June 11, visited the National Bureau of Investigation-Central Visayas headquarters in Cebu City to request an investigation over their son’s death. (Calvin D. Cordova)
The family of Jerson Enseñares complained that safety protocols were not followed when the 21-year-old man fell and died in a construction site in Barangay Maloray, Dalaguete on June 5.
Based on a police report, Enseñares and his co-workers were installing metal trusses of a barangay sports gym when he fell from about 30 feet and landed on the concrete pavement. The victim suffered severe head injuries.
“We are seeking help from the NBI so that the death of my son will be given justice. We lost a provider, he worked hard for us,” said Jerson’s mother Mengdred, who was accompanied by her husband Marjoe and daughter Jonamie at the NBI-7 headquarters here.
Jerson was the eldest of nine broods. He was Mengred’s son from a previous relationship.
His parents also questioned why their son was assigned to the construction project when the building of the sports complex was undertaken by a private contractor.
According to Mengdred, Jerson was hired as JO by the municipal government in August last year.
The family’s victim believed that there was irregularity when Jerson was deployed to the construction site when he was receiving salary from the municipal government and not from the private contractor.
The family presented a pay slip showing that Jerson was receiving a salary of P5,000 a month from the municipal government.
As a JO, Jerson was working under the supervision of Engineers Ernie Amarado and Fernando Armecin from the municipal engineer’s office.
Marjoe alleged that when the fatal accident happened, one of the engineers allegedly asked them to no longer report the incident to the police.
“They told us at the funeral parlor not to report to the police when they gave us P20,000 as financial assistance,” said Marjoe.
Mengdred said the family was disheartened that Dalaguete Mayor Ronald Allan Cesante did not visit her son's wake.
“It also saddened us that he did not even visit the wake of my son when he was a worker of the municipal government,” said Mengdred.
The family also lamented that safety protocols were not followed at the construction site.
“He didn’t have a harness, no hard hat. We asked why there were no safety gears. We were told by the private contractor that there were no available safety gears at the time,” said Mengdred.
Lawyer Wenceslao Galendez Jr. of NBI-7 said their initial assessment showed that they have jurisdiction over the case.
“I think the NBI has jurisdiction because the fatal fall was not just a simple accident. I have to relay this to our regional director and then we will process everything needed in the investigation,” said Galendez.