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Saturday, October 30, 2004
Charges mulled v. storeowners, 36 firemen
By Chris Navarro
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Owners of a grocery store and 36 fire officers stand to face criminal and administrative charges in connection with the October 2 fire in this city that killed eight women.
Mayor Oscar S. Rodriguez said City Hall is seriously considering the filing of charges against Popong Suwerte Mart owners and several fire officers including three top men of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).
Rodriguez said in a press conference Friday he already received the report on the grocery blaze from the committee tasked to investigate the incident.
The probe body, created through an executive order of the mayor, suggested the filing of a criminal case for reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide against Popong mart owners.
The investigating team said grocery store owners failed to take the necessary precautions to protect the lives of their employees even after they were repeatedly cited for violation of the fire code prior to the incident.
If they had take steps to correct their violations, this could have saved the lives of the employees, said the team in its report.
The group also recommended the filing of an administrative case against fire officials who issued the Fire Safety Inspection Permit to Popong's Swerte mart when it applied for a renewal of its business permit in 2004.
It said the officials granted the permit to the mart even after knowing that the store violated fire safety standards. The violations were discovered during an inspection on Nov. 18, 2003 and were found to have not been corrected prior to the fire incident.
"We will make the corresponding action against those who issued the permits as well as possible administrative complaint against those who responded to the accident from the BFP-from the provincial down to the city level-who, we believe, fell short of the expected performance as members of the fire department," Rodriguez said.
Cecil L. Andin, city legal officer and chairman of the investigating committee, said they recommended the filing of administrative charges against BFP provincial fire marshal Supt. Emmanuel Arrozal, former city fire marshal Chief Insp. Johnny Caronan and current city fire marshal Chief Insp. Mario Racadio and 33 other firemen.
The team in a statement said the fire officials should be charged administratively for neglect in the performance of their duties as they failed "to at least exert effort to attempt the rescue of the trapped victims."
Those who died in the fire tragedy were Joy Lugtu, 19, of Sto. Cristo, Mexico; Genevie Dizon, 27, of San Juan, Sta. Ana; Victoria Malpico, 37, of San Joaquin, Sta. Ana; Alma Gonzales, 38, of Calulut; Emerita Koh, 41, of Pilar Village and Lerma Gonzales Gutierrez, 26, of Maimpis, all in this city; Marlene Miranda, 20, of Magliman, Bacolor; and Desiree Vitug of Valenzuela St. Angeles City.
(October 30, 2004 issue)
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