Pelaez to look into Gaylawan’s death

By NITZ ARANCON,
Correspondent

MISAMIS Oriental Vice Gov. Jose Mari Pelaez yesterday said he would look into the death of capitol worker Allan Gaylawan and see if there is a need for the provincial board to step in.

Pelaez said this a day after Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office acting chief Fernando Vincent Dy’s revelation that the capitol has been subjecting workers to strenuous trainings and making rescuers out of them without checking first if they are physically fit or not. Dy said medical examination certificates have not been required from workers before they are admitted to the PDRRMO rescue team.

Pelaez said he would go over the Gaylawan case when he returns from Manila in order to determine if the provincial board should start an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of the 53-year old worker.

He said such an investigation would be in aid of legislation, and could be started to prevent capitol workers from dying during rescue drills.

Pelaez said he was expecting an incident report from Dy that would be used to determine if the provincial board should investigate or not.

Meanwhile, provincial board member Gerardo Sabal said there was no need for the provincial board to start an investigation into Gaylawan’s death, saying it was an “accident.”

“Wala man sab to tuyo-a ang iyang pagkamatay, accident ra gyud to so no need na for the Sanggunian to investigate the incident,” Sabal said.

Sabal said Dy has already submitted a report to the provincial board on the Gaylawan’s death.

He said Dy’s report was “sufficient,” and point to an “accident.”

But based on the accounts of Dy and witnesses, what happened to Gaylawan on Friday was far from being an accident. All the accounts suggest that the worker had health problems which the PDRRMO was unaware of because it never required him to undergo a medical examination to determine whether he was fit or not.

Sabal said the provincial board should prioritize other pressing matters that should have been tackled on Monday had it not been for problems on quorum in the province’s legislature.

For instance, he said, the provincial board needs to approve ordinances for public and private projects (PPP).