Probers eye ‘substandard’ materials in QC billboard collapse

MANILA, Philippines - Police investigators are eyeing the use of substandard materials as the reason for the collapse of two billboards along the Epifanio delos Santos (EDSA) in Quezon City. This, as the number of people hurt in the incident climbed to five, a report from radio dzBB said. Radio dzBB's Tuesday Niu identified the latest victim as 18-year-old Maryjoy Orosco, who complained that she could not move her left shoulder after a piece of metal from one of the fallen billboards hit her. Orosco was among the people who were at the St. Jude Transit bus terminal when a billboard reportedly toppled by strong winds and rains crashed on the terminal. But Supt Joselito Pajarillaga Jr, commander of the Quezon City Police Station 7, said the collapse of the billboards could not have been caused by strong winds even if it had been raining in the area Monday afternoon. "Tinitignan namin ang posibilidad na substandard iyong materials kasi hindi naman malakas ang hangin nung nangyari yun (We are looking into the possibility that the billboards were made of substandard materials because the wind was not blowing hard at that time)," Pajarillaga said. At about 2 p.m., the first billboard collapsed along Liberty Street near EDSA and fell onto an auto-repair shop. Moments later, the second one, lying nearby, collapsed on St. Jude Bus Terminal. A power transmitter situated in between the two the billboards - each measuring around 50 square meters - was damaged. Pajarillaga could not immediately confirm if power was disrupted in the area. Aside from Orosco, also hurt in the incident were Diana Enopia, 21; Mercy Alano Tumasar, 21; Jerry Alano, 40; and Allan Madrlejos, 34. The five were rushed to the East Avenue Medical Center. Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said it found violations of the billboard law in the incident. In a radio interview, MMDA traffic enforcement group head Bobby Esquivel said the billboard had no permit and that the structure supporting it had weakened. "Napag-alaman natin na ang billboard na ito ay walang permit, (at) may kahinaan ang structure niya (We learned the billboard had no permit, and the structure was weak)," he told dzBB radio. But Esquivel admitted the MMDA cannot take action against the owners as the matter is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). - with Mark Merueñas, GMANews.TV