Arroyo wants report on Hanjin shipyard blast

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Friday ordered the National Police and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) to submit a complete report on the blast at the Hanjin shipyard that killed two people and injured three others. Deputy presidential spokesman Anthony Golez said the President also ordered the PNP and the SBMA to “ensure that a similar incident will not happen again." Golez said Malacañang is expecting the report “soon" but he already dubbed the incident as an “occupational accident." “The President wishes to extend her condolences to the families of the two Filipino workers in Hanjin Industries in Subic Bay who died due to an occupational accident that happened at 11 a.m.," he said. He said Mrs Arroyo ordered the SBMA, the Office of Civil Defense and the health and social welfare departments to assess the incident and extend assistance to those injured and to the families of the fatalities. Reports quoted Subic police chief Supt. Cesar Jacob identifying the fatalities as Hermias Adamos, 30; and Mario Laxamana, 32. He said the injured – Jonathan Martinez, Gilbert Suba and a certain Donald – were taken to the James. L. Gordon Hospital in Olongapo City for second degree burns. Jacob was quoted as saying that the explosion was caused by an oily portion of the ship being built there. He said the explosion happened inside one of the ships being completed at assembly shop dry dock number 5 at 11:40 a.m. Hanjin is one of the biggest foreign investments under the Arroyo administration. President Arroyo herself attended the groundbreaking of the $2-million Hanjin shipyard in Misamis Oriental last week. The President has also been advocating the training of more Filipino welders for employment in the Korean shipbuilding company. - GMANews.TV