Skywalk accident victim dies; NGO cares for kids
The man who accidentally touched a live wire while trying to remove a Sinulog tarpaulin on the roof of a skywalk along Osmeña boulevard died at the government-run Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center at 12:57 a.m. yesterday.
Senior Insp. Elisandro Quijano, homicide section chief of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), told reporters that the remains of Noli Laborte Sisiban was claimed by his live-in partner Mary Ann.
Some street dwellers, however, alleged that Sisiban’s body is still at the hospital morgue pending the payment of medical bills.
“If they want to ask for help, they can coordinate with us and police precinct 2,” Quijano said.
He said the Visayan Electric Co. (Veco) can choose to help Sisiban’s family.
“For humanitarian purposes, Veco is a big company. They can help the family but we are not blaming Veco here,” he said.
Cebu Daily News tried to locate Mary Ann, who often stays on the street near the Fuente Osmeña circle with her eight kids to beg from passersby.
But a sidewalk vendor named Pepito, who claimed to know Mary Ann, said a foreigner working in a non-government organization took care of the woman and her eight children after he learned about Sisiban’s fate.
“That foreigner is their friend for the longest time. We even found him treating with the kids at a nearby fast-food chain,” Pepito said.
He said the foreigner bought fruits from him and gave these to the kids.
A hotel employee who requested anonymity said the kids are staying at their hotel. The foreigner brought the family there at past 3 p.m. yesterday.
“Yes, they are still here, they were brought by the foreigner but he left as he is staying in another hotel. He only left a representative of their NGO,” the hotel employee said.
CDN tried but was unable to contact the foreigner.
Sisiban was trying to remove some Sinulog tarpaulins that were hung on the roof of the skywalk when a barbed wire he used got entangled with a live wire.
A medic who rushed Sisiban to the VSMMC’s intensive care unit said the victim’s clothes were burned to a crisp.
Cebu City Acting Mayor Edgardo Labella wants the Sinulog Foundation, Inc. (SFI) and Veco to implement safety measures in setting up Sinulog banners in the wake of last Tuesday’s incident.
SFI executive director Ricky Ballesteros said they only allow trained personnel to put up and take down Sinulog-related banners in the city.
“They (homeless and night dwellers) are not supposed to take it down. Maybe after we take it down, we can give it to them. But we should be the one to take it down. That needs skilled people to climb and take it down. It’s not easy,” he said.
He said the Sinulog tarpaulin placed on top of the skywalk was intended to remain there until after the International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) to serve as a welcome sign for those attending the Sinulog and IEC.
SFI asked Coca-Cola, the sponsor of the streamer, to put it back up.
As for the other tarpaulins of the Sinulog, Ballesteros said they will start taking them down since they will be replaced by IEC-related banners.
Meanwhile, Labella asked the relatives of Sisiban to avail of assistance from City Hall’s Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS).
“I will also direct OBO (Office of the Building Official) to look into the safety of these skywalks and examine if there are exposed wires,” he said.
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