5 BFP men implicated in NCCC mall fire

DAVAO CITY – At least eight personnel of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) 11 may be included in the list of those responsible for the NCCC Mall Davao fire last December 23, 2017.

Interagency Anti-Arson Task Force deputy team leader and spokesperson Fire Supt. Jerry Candido did not disclose the identities of the fire officials, pending completion of the investigation but added some of them are still active while others are retired.

He said they are still gathering documents and that more personalities may be included in the charges that will be filed, depending on their involvement in the issuance of permits to the NCCC Mall Davao and Survey Sampling International (SSI) fire safety inspection certificates despite failing to comply with the fire safety standards.

Candido said possible charges may include falsification of public documents, R.A. 3019 or Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Article 365 (Imprudence and negligence) of the Revised Penal Code, and administrative charges such as grave misconduct and dishonesty.

Earlier, five fire officials were relievedBFP Davao fire marshal Honey Fritz Alagano, Senior Fire Officer 1 Leo Lauzon, the fire safety Inspector of SSI Office; Senior Fire Officer 2 Joel Quizmundo, the Fire Safety Inspector of NCCC Mall; Senior Fire Officer 1 Roger Dumag, Chief of the Fire Safety Section of Davao City; and, Inspector Renero Jimenez, the Station Commander of SIR Fire Station to prevent them from interfering and influencing the result of the investigation.

Candido did not confirm if the relieved officials are the ones on the list.

Candido said that the NCCC Mall Davao and Survey Sampling International (SSI) failed to comply with the fire safety requirements, which led to the death of 38 workers – 37 were call centers agents and one mall workers – after being trapped inside the fourstory establishment.

This contradicted Alagano’s statement last December 28 that the NCCC Mall Davao and SSI managements were issued with fire safety inspection certificates (FSIC) last April 2017 and September 2017, respectively, after they passed the annual fire safety inspection.