MAKATI CITY, Philippines - A day before he is set to fly to the United States to attend a World Bank meeting, Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin "Junjun" Binay paid a visit to the lone survivor of the Eton construction tragedy, 23-year-old construction worker Ruel Perez. It was the first time that the lone survivor of the accident was able to give an account on what transpired that day. With Binay listening, Perez recalled that he and his fellow employees under Arlo Aluminum rode the gondola on the 28th floor. He cannot recall how many they were inside the gondola at the time, but Perez said he was with his brother Rommel, one of the 10 fatalities in the crash. Perez said the gondola gave out on the 28th floor and plummeted. Before he was about to land on a pile of protruding metal rods, his brother rommel was able to push him so that he landed on the concrete floor. Rommel died. Contrary to earlier statements saying there was an operator manning the gondola, perez said there was none, explaining that any worker could operate the gondola as they pleased. He is still at the intensive care unit of the Ospital ng Makati. He sustained multiple fractures on his right arm, right leg, and pelvis, and is still in pain since doctors have yet to operate on him and are waiting for his wounds to heal.
Perez needs blood transfusion after a heavy blood loss resulting from the accident, and will need more during his operation. A metal prosthetic costing around P300,000 will also need to be attached to his body, his doctors said.
