Sacking of 5 fire officials recommended over Davao City mall fire

The Inter-Agency Anti-Arson Task Force, assigned to investigate into the tragic New City Commercial Center Mall fire in Davao City, on Sunday recommended that five five Bureau of Fire Protection officials be relieved from their posts.

A "Balitanghali" report by Bam Alegre identified the five BFP personnel as:

Senior Police Officer 1 Leo Lauzon (Fire Safety Inspector of SSI Office)
Senior Police Officer 2 Joel Quizmundo (Fire Safety Inspector of NCCC Mall)
Senior Police Officer 1 Roger Dumag (Chief of the Fire Safety Section of Davao City)
Inspector Renero Jimenez (Station Commander of SIR Fire Station)
Superintendent Honee Fritz Alagano (District Fire Marshal of Davao City)

"Si SFOI Leo Lauzon was the one responsible in inspecting the SSI office, and when he accomplished the after inspection report, he noted that SSI has no violation except the conduct of fire exit drill... when in fact, there are so many violations noted by the task force," said Fire Senior Superintendent Jerome Candido of the task force.

"Now SFO1 Joel Quizmundo was the one who inspected the NCCC mall. And also, when he accomplished the after inspection report, he noted that the said mall has no violation except the conduct of fire exit drill when in fact, we have noted... the task force has noted several violations in the fourth floor, in the third floor as well as in the whole mall. especially sa kanilang automatic fast sprinkler system, sa kanilang fire exits, at ang ibang fire exits has no fire door," Candido added.

The task force has collated pieces of evidence such as fire debris, electric cable and ash, which will be brought in Manila for further investigation.

"This will prove our theory that indeed there was an electrical short circuit... initial findings namin. And we are still trying to collate and finalize all testimonies of the survivors," he added.

Initial information gathered from the ongoing probe show that sprinkler systems on the third and fourth floors of the building weren't working as their valves were closed.

Last week's fire incident left at least 37 people dead, most of them were employees of the Research Now SSI, a Texas-based call center located on the fourth floor of the mall.

The report said search and retrieval operations continue for the body of a certain Alexandra Moreno. —Anna Felicia Bajo/LBG, GMA News

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