RNV Construction has issued an incident report regarding a worker who was found lifeless at one of its residential construction projects in Chalan Kanoa.
Based on its findings and inquiries at the jobsite, RNV Construction stated that on March 4, 2022, at about 2:30 p.m., “the construction workers (including the deceased worker [Merlito Villegas]) took shelter [in] the workers’ staging area due to rain.”
RNV said Villegas told one of his co-workers that “he felt uncomfortable” or that “he was not feeling well.”
At 2:35 p.m. the rain subsided and all the workers decided to go back to work.
RNV said the foreman at the jobsite advised Villegas to stay in the staging area, and take a rest if he was still not feeling good.
Villegas was then left in the staging area where he rested on an improvised bench while everyone returned to their “areas of assignment.”
At 2:45 p.m., RNV said all workers rushed again to shelter due to another downpour, and it was then that they found Villegas lying lifeless on the bench.
One of the workers then called 911 and requested emergency medical assistance. At about 3 p.m., “medics arrived at the jobsite and took charge of the unresponsive worker.”
RNV said its construction manager conducted an initial jobsite investigation with the responding Department of Public Safety officers.
The construction manager also reported the incident to RNV management and Occupational Safety and Health Administration to comply with the eight-hour reporting requirement in case of workplace incidents, RNV said.
It added that Villegas was not a direct employee of RNV but was hired by RNV through a registered manpower agency based on Saipan.
“Merlito had been working with RNV Construction for a year at the time of the incident,” RNV said.
“Police and medical report [are] still on-hold while [authorities] are still contacting the next of kin in the Philippines,” RNV added.
RNV also said that it did not deny Villegas’ request for a day off — if such a request was made.
DPS said no foul play was suspected in Villegas’ death.
