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Monday, April 14, 2008
Coop blames city for Baguio market fire
BAGUIO CITY -- A market cooperative on Sunday blamed the City Government of Baguio for the fire that razed the P3 million in government property and private goods recently.
"For the past 18 years, there has been no wiring inspection in the market," said Victor Calimlim, treasurer of the Baguio Market-Plaza Cooperative Multipurpose (Bamapcom), explaining it is the responsibility of the City Government to secure the stallholders and market goers.
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Investigators believed that the spark from an electrical wire caused the fire at the city market. Three security guards of the market were reported to have heard "crackling sounds" immediately prior to the blaze.
Calimlim added that the city has ignored the market for the past several years.
Joseph Cacal, Bamapcom manager, said it is the job of the city to check the soundness of the structures in the city even though RTC Judge Illuminada Cabato is still hearing the case filed by market organizations against the city and Uniwide Realty Development Corp. The case has been wanting of a decision for the past 12 years, he said.
"They (city officials) always use the injunction as an excuse for not being able to do anything inside the market," Cacal stressed.
He said it is the Baguio Market Authority, which should have ensured the integrity of the city market because it is the body tasked to see to the day-to-day operations in the market. "What is happening is that the authority only concentrates on collecting market fees," he said.
Calimlim said Section 163 of the Market Code sets aside 10 percent of all collections for the improvement, repair, wages of additional personnel and the purchase of fire prevention equipment for the market. "There is no such equipment provided in the market," he stressed.
He said: "The safety of the public is still at risk because the burnt area was not properly cordoned off." A check made by Sun.Star at the area revealed that a number of stallholders and ordinary citizens freely roam around the burned structure with no official on sight to prevent them from entering.
Even the debris left by the fire has not been cleared yet despite assurances from City Hall. The situation, Cacal said, adds to the traffic congestion along Magsaysay Avenue.
Bamapcom has allotted P15,000 to hire a truck that will haul the debris away.(Sun.Star Baguio/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Manila. (April 14, 2008 issue)
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