Saturday, January 12, 2008 Makati mayor seeks copy of police report on Glorietta blast
MAKATI Mayor Jejomar Binay on Friday asked the Philippine National Police (PNP) to furnish his office a full report of the multi-agency task force that conducted the investigation on the October 19 Glorietta 2 blast that killed 11 persons and wounded more than a hundred others.
"I would like to see the entire report of the PNP. I just wanted to make sure that this is indeed the final report," Binay said a day after the authorities released the result of the multi-agency investigation adding that the deadly explosion was triggered by methane.
The findings also recommended the filing of criminal charges against 15 persons, including three mid-level officials of the Ayala Land Incorporated (ALI), owner of the popular Glorietta shopping malls.
Binay earlier said the PNP has revised the report many times and hoped that Thursday's report would be able to stand public skepticism and the scrutiny of the courts once the case is filed.
He said five days after the explosion, PNP officials already claimed that the explosion was caused by a gas leak contradicting earlier pronouncements that it was caused by a bomb.
Firemen meantime were held liable for negligence in the performance of their duty in connection with the blast criticized the findings of the investigation that named them as among those responsible for the tragedy.
Makati Fire Marshal Jose Embang said it was his predecessor, Superintendent Arsenio Tabajonda, who issued in 2006 the Fire Safety Inspection Certificate of the Glorietta mall.
He admitted that the building was set to be inspected last year, but they were not able to do due to a huge backlog and the lack of personnel.
"We have only 24 fire safety inspectors and we have to inspect about 42,000 buildings here in Makati," Embang said.
He maintained that the fire safety certification they had issued were only applicable to the tenants and their stalls and not to the whole building.
Embang was charged with simple neglect of duty for his failure to review and validate before issuing the fire safety inspection certificate.
Three other firemen, Reynaldo Enoc, Anthony Grey and Leonilo Balais, were also charged with grave neglect of duty. (AH/Sunnex)
