GMA Network fined almost P1 million for actor Garcia’s death
THE Labor department fined broadcast company GMA Network, Inc. P890,000 for violating work safety standards during the taping of a show where a veteran actor fell and eventually died.
The network was fined P810,000 for failing to report the late actor Eddie Garcia’s accident on time and P80,000 for failing to hire a first-aid personnel and safety officer at the time of the filming, according to the agency’s Dec. 2 order that was made public on Sunday.
GMA was made jointly liable with Alpha Premier Transport Services, Gapo Special Effects Services, Inc., GMA-7 Employees Multi Purpose Coop., Renteqaire Enterprises, CMB Film Services Inc. and Shoot Digital Video Co.
In a statement released on Monday, GMA said it had appealed the ruling to Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III seeking its reversal. “GMA will proceed with the necessary steps as soon as the DoLE resolves its appeal,” it said.
GMA failed to report the actor’s accident within 24 hours as required by law, according to the order. The network also did not have any available first-aid personnel and safety officer during the taping.
A closed circuit TV video showed Mr. Garcia being carried by people, without a stretcher, after he tripped on a cable wire and hit his head on the pavement during a shoot for his TV shot on June 8. He did not get any first-aid treatment, the Labor department said.
He was rushed to a hospital in Tondo, Manila and was transferred to the intensive care unit of a Makati hospital after he remained unconscious.
It was initially announced that the 90-year-old actor suffered a heart attack but his doctor ruled this out. He was later found to have suffered a neck and cervical fracture due to the fall.
In September, GMA Network said in a statement that its set location was not covered by the requirements of a “workplace” described in the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Law.
A workplace is considered a location where employees’ services are regularly rendered, as opposed to shooting locations that are temporary, the network said.
The Labor order, however, noted that GMA was “duty-bound to observe and implement occupational safety and health standards in all its workplaces” including all of its shooting locations. — Gillian M. Cortez
