The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Tuesday said around 20 other steel plants are under surveillance for suspected violations of product and safety standards following its recent raid on a steel manufacturing facility in Davao City.
In a press conference on Tuesday, NBI Director Melvin Matibag said the facilities that could be violating product standards and workplace safety, among others, were identified through reports and intelligence information gathered by the bureau.
‘Ang ginagawang effort ng NBI at PAOCC (Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission) and other law enforcement agencies will not end in Davao, pupuntahan din namin yung mga ibang lugar pa,’ Matibag said.
(The efforts of the NBI, PAOCC [Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission], and other law enforcement agencies will not end in Davao. We will also go to other places.)
‘There are about 20 more across the country na amin pong sinu-surveillance at binabantayan,’ he noted.
(There are about 20 more across the country that are under surveillance and monitoring.)
Matibag, however, did not specify the locations of the steel plants.
So far, the NBI has raided five steel facilities – two in pampanga, one in Bulacan, one in Misamis Oriental, and the recent one in Davao.
Last August 13, the NBI-in coordination with PAOCC and other relevant agencies-conducted an operation against the Davao Mighty Steel Corp. facility in Barangay Ilang, Davao City, where authorities found radioactive-bearing materials and steel products that allegedly failed government standards.
According to Matibag, 14 individuals allegedly involved in the supposed illegal operation are already under the bureau’s custody, while seven others remain at large.
NBI’s Disaster Victim Identification Division chief Dr. Wilfredo Tierra said a total of 194 workers were examined at the Davao facility, 57 of which had documented medical findings.
He added that two other workers tested positive during radioactivity scanning and were subjected to decontamination and further medical procedures.
The NBI is coordinating with the Department of Labor and Employment to provide temporary jobs for affected workers and with the Department of Health regarding concerns about their long-term exposure to radioactive materials.
Meanwhile, NBI’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives and Foreign Malign Influence Unit chief Zulhika Conales said 394 buildings in General Santos City and Sarangani province that reportedly used Davao Mighty Steel reinforcing bars were damaged following a recent earthquake.
She added that the structures included government offices, schools, businesses, and a hospital.
Matibag said the NBI is also coordinating with other government agencies and foreign counterparts on the proper storage and disposal of radioactive materials recovered from the Davao facility.
He urged the public planning to build homes and infrastructures to check the steel products being used in construction and ensure that they meet the required safety standards.