Councilor: Mayor should not be blamed for fire incident

THE fire in Barangay Saint Michael that razed three houses with an estimated damage cost at P3 million should not be blamed to Palo Mayor Remedios Petilla.

“It is unfair to put the blame on her,” said Councilor Wilson Uy. He added that Mayor Remedios Petilla had already asked for a thorough investigation of what had really happened that night before the fire incident.

“They (BFP) are not under the jurisdiction of the local government units, and we don’t even have the police power over them. What we can only do is to investigate on what had really happened as reference, to ensure that the same incident would not happen again,” Uy said.

“They had submitted report to the mayor presenting only figures with no names of who had responded, and the time element,” Uy added.

Uy said during the investigation that they will be conducting, BFP personnel must justify their action during the fire incident, where members of the municipal council will be basing their report. The said investigation will also help the public to verify on the real cause of the fire fighters’ late response.

He added that once they found negligence from the fire officers, it will be the mother unit that has the jurisdiction in imposing sanctions.

Uy added that during their initial investigation, they learned that the fire station has a telephone line free of charge from the Bayantel Communications, but said telephone line was used by the fire department for internet, causing it to be on busy tone when some residents call the fire department telephone number for assistance(Leyte Samar Daily Express)