THE inter-agency task force investigating the mall fire that killed 38 people in Davao City on Dec. 23 has recommended the relief of five officials from the Bureau of Fire Protection.
A radio news program identified as Senior Fire Officer (SFO) 1 Leo Lauzon, SFO2 Joel Quizmundo, S
SFO1 Roger Dumag, Insp. Renero Jimenez and Supt. Honee Fritz Alagano.
Lauzon was the one responsible for inspecting the SSI office on the fourth floor of the NCCC Mall, and noted no violations when there were “so many,” said Fire Senior Supt. Jerom Candido of the task force.
Quizmundo, on the other hand, inspected the NCCC mall and found no violations, when the task force found several, including problems with their automatic sprinkler system and fire exits that had no fire door.
The task force is working under the theory that the fire was started by an electrical short circuit.
Information gathered indicated that the sprinklers were not working on the third and fourth floors of the building because their valves were closed.
Most of those killed in the fire were employees of Research Now SSI, a Texas-based call center that held office on the fourth floor of the mall.
On Sunday, Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo questioned the safety of workplaces in Metro Manila in the wake of the Davao City tragedy.
He said there was a compelling need to inspect establishments not only in the National Capital Region but in other urban areas to ensure the safety of workers.
“There are a lot of questions why and how the 37 employees inside the NCCC Mall got trapped
in the building and never had a chance of survival,” he said.
“This incident, along with other fire occurrences in the past seem to tell us that there is something remiss in the way we deal with safety in the workplace,” he added.
