PORAC, Pampanga -- Rescuers said Friday, April 26, they can no longer detect signs of life inside the rubble of the collapsed Chuzon Supermarket.
The supermarket collapsed during the 6.1-magnitude earthquake that hit Luzon on Monday, April 22.
Pampanga Police Chief Jean Fajardo said rescuers and K-9 units confirmed that there are no signs of life at the Chuzon Supermarket but rescuers are on standby in case of any possibility.
Meanwhile, clearing operations at the ground zero are still ongoing as of press time Friday, April 26.
Five bodies were retrieved from the collapsed structure, while nine people were rescued alive by volunteer personnel.
President Rodrigo Duterte ordered Tuesday, April 23, the issuance of a cease and desist order against the supermarket whose four-story branch in Porac, Pampanga collapsed, killing at least five people. It was learned that the Chuzon building in Porac town was only built four years ago.
The cease and desist order should also cover other branches of Chuzon in the towns of Apalit, Santo Tomas, Guagua and Floridablanca.
Chuzon Supermarket is owned by businessman Samuel Chu. It has four branches in Pampanga (Sto. Tomas, Apalit, Guagua, and Floridablanca), one in Gerona, Tarlac and one in Mariveles, Bataan.
In Guagua, the municipal engineer has temporarily suspended the operations of the Chuzon Supermarket branch there.
Pampanga Governor Lilia Pineda expressed similar concern, adding she had asked the provincial engineer to also make similar investigations and to check if the building had complied with all the necessary requirements for construction.
Also, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said the Department of Public Works and Highways personnel have started conducting forensic investigation on the samples taken from the collapsed Chuzon Supermarket.
The Philippine National Police is currently building up a case against the Chuzon officials and establishing possible culpability of local officials for the collapsed building.