Ramon Ang apologizes for Skyway Extension Project incident

San Miguel Corp. president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang issued a personal apology for the incident on the ongoing Skyway Extension Project, as he promised that assistance will be given to the victims of the steel girder collapse.

Ang on Sunday said that while project contractor EEI Corp. was in charge of handling the construction of the project, SMC has a responsibility to take care of the victims as the project proponent.

"Even with a contractor handling construction, ultimately, we are responsible for the welfare of those who were affected. I would like to personally apologize to the victims and their families, as well as to our larger community in Muntinlupa," he said in an emailed statement.

"This terrible and tragic accident has affected me in ways I can’t even begin to express. I have not stopped thinking about the people who were affected, the four that were injured and most especially, the person who perished, and his family. There are no words that can ease the grief of losing a loved one," he added.

EEI Corp. on Saturday said that a crane that was being positioned for its next task fell at 8:50 a.m., leading to one fatality and leaving four others injured.

The incident pushed back the completion of the project to February 2021.

"To the family, I can only offer my sincerest and deepest condolences, and my personal assurance that your family will be taken care of. To those who were injured, please be assured we will provide all the means necessary for you to recover and restart," Ang said.

Moving forward, Ang vowed that the incident will be investigated thoroughly and that both SMC and its contractor EEI will ensure that stricter measures will be implemented at the project site.

"In a project of this magnitude and scale, there are many redundant safety measures in place. Unfortunately, we can’t predict every outcome, and I’m sure no one wanted this to happen," he said.

"Regardless, we are working with authorities to determine the root cause of this incident. We will find out where lapses occurred and do whatever is necessary to help make sure they don’t happen again," elaborated Ang.

The Skyway Extension Project was initially scheduled to be completed by December this year, adding two northbound lanes and three southbound lanes. It will have a direct connection to Skyway 1, 2, and 3, and allow motorists from the south to head to NAIA, Makati, Manila, San Juan, Quezon City, and the NLEX without having to pass by Alabang and EDSA. — DVM, GMA News