13 workers sued for colleague’s death
Two brothers and 11 others were arrested over the death of a 28-year-old construction worker, who was smashed with a steel bar and shoved down from a four-tier building in Villabulsita, Barangay Bulacao, Cebu City yesterday dawn.
The victim, Bonifacio Candia, a resident of Magcagong, Sibonga, Cebu, was found lying on the ground and covered in blood past 3 a.m. yesterday.
Senior Police Officer 1 Winston Ybañez of the Cebu City Police Office Investigation and Detective Management Branch (IDMB) said the victim took some alcoholic drinks the night before.
When he arrived at the construction site, the victim reportedly had a confrontation with Domingo Gabica, another construction worker, which escalated into a disagreement.
Gabica reportedly smashed a steel bar on to the victim’s head.
Ybañez said that Candia had severe head injuries that came from the smashing.
The police investigator added that Gabica called his brother, Ereneo, who worked as a foreman of the construction site to seek for help.
Ereneo allegedly opted to shove Candia’s body down. Ybañez said it is possible that Candia was still alive before he was shoved.
“Murag naratol siya atong tungura. Human niya og pospos, iya gitawag ang iya igsuon. Gipukaw niya. Pag-abot sa igsuon, nadisidihan nila nga itagak,” Ybañez added.
Afterwards, Ereneo allegedly called the other construction workers and ordered to cover the bloodstains on the floor.
“Human itagak, gipatabang ang uban para itago to ang dugo nga nagkatag, pero naa man lama naklaro ang dugo gyud pagukay na nato. Adto nakita ang mga lama nga natabunan sa sinako sa graba,” Ybañez said.
However, in a separate interview, Ereneo denied the charge and said that he has nothing to do with Candia’s death.
"Wala gyud mi kabalo ana. Nahagbong guro siya kay naa naman siya sa ubos," Ereneo said in an interview.
The brothers are facing murder charges, while the 11 other construction workers were charged with obstruction of justice. —
Mae Clydyl L. Avila, Kenna Kyla G. Calizar, SWU-PHINMA Intern/GAN