Mark Anthony Doctolero never woke up from sleep after working more than 24 hours in a Taiwanese-owned Enlin Steel Philippines Corporation (ESPC) operating inside the Cavite Economic Zone (CEZ), Rosario, Cavite.

According to Roxanne, common law wife and mother to a nine-month old child, “My husband (Doctolero) left for work at 6:00 in the morning of June 25, 2011. They were told to work overnight and got home earlier than expected of 9:00 in the morning the next day, June 26.”

“Before going to sleep that day, Mark (Doctolero’s nickname) cradled our child in his arms while telling a story. We learned of his death at 4:00 in the afternoon, when I tried to wake him up from sleep,” Roxanne continued.

Roxanne suspected that her husband died due to over fatigue. She furthered that Mark had work as a contractual at ESPC since 2008.

“Mark was on his third year working as contractual since 2008. He’s 26 years old. We do not know any afflictions or health issues that may cause his untimely demise. We really suspect that Mark died due to over fatigue,” Roxanne stressed out.

Roxanne added that she never knew what specific department Mark is in at the plant. However, there were times that Mark told her of the accidents and deaths of co-workers inside the steel plant.

“Mark told me stories about work-related accident and deaths inside their plant. He even shared to me that at times while working in his station, abrasives hit his face.”

According to regular workers who knew Doctolero and refused to be named, before Doctolero died he was at the washing department where he did sandblasting. They further recalled that that Doctolero at times did welding tasks. Workers said that it is common practice inside the plant to force workers to work overnight. And, it happens when products are being rushed especially when there’s a huge amount of order to be put in production.

Edwin, Mark’s father, who arrived on June 29 came all the way from Masbate upon learning the death of his son. He (Edwin) maintained that they will not press any charges against the company after meeting with ESPC’s Human Resource Supervisor Lennie Condol.

According to Edwin, Condol asked their perception of the company. “I said that their company is nice and huge but your company also killed my son. Condol even said that if we are planning to press charges, the case shall be discussed between lawyers, a very tedious process. Our real problem now is we still lack money to travel Mark’s body to Masbate though the ESPC management has given us a total of P65,000 and more on July 1.”

Work-related accidents and deaths hound ESPC’s operation in CEZ. A recent case involved the of 23-year old Ranreh Porquiado, welder and maintenance crew working as contractual in ESPC.

Porquiado accidentally fell into the massive water tank where forged metals were being cooled down sustained second-degree burns in different parts of the body.

Porquiado was able to swim out of the tank and immediately rushed to the hospital on that same day of March 21, 2011 but succumb to infection from the sustained burns after five days.

Last year, five (5) cases of work-related deaths and accidents inside ESPC plants were monitored by WAC. The said cases include that of Alex Secoya who was hit in the face by a metal as large as a basin while working past midnight on July 9.

Jovert Jabillo whose two (2) fingers (middle and ring fingers) were cut after being crushed by the power press machine he operated on July 24.

On August 26, Ruben Ledesma, department head, died while working on his grinding machine when he was hit by scraps of metal from a broken machine near his station, caused him to lean forward toward the grinder that cut his stomach.

Then, regular worker Rogelio Soriano’s middle and ring toes had to be cut after being crushed by the lathe machine he operated on the afternoon of October 31.

And, on November 24, a newly-hired contractual worker assigned in the maintenance department fell to his death after climbing up to the roof of company.

ESPC started its operation inside the CEZ on 1994. As of August 2010 the company produce Forged flange stainless, Stainless steel cast, Stainless Fittings and butt welds shipped overseas mainly countries across Asia, America, and Europe.