No cover-up in EPZA factory fire – Remulla

IMUS CITY, Cavite — Governor Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla has reiterated that there would be no coverup in the investigation of the fatal fire at House Technology (HTI) Pte. Ltd. factory in Cavite Export Processing Zone Authority (EPZA) compound in General Trias City.

Remulla also assured the transparency of the local government and the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) on details or information about the fire that razed the six-hectare factory.

The governor, the head of the Crisis Management Committee (CMC), made his statements during a conference on the presentation of preliminary report on the industry fire last Monday at the Ople Hall of the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE’s) Labor Governance Learning Center in Intramuros, Manila.

DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III called the conference, which included the media, for the briefing on the facts and circumstances in the fire that killed three HTI employees and injured 126 others.

Aside from Remulla, present during the conference were Gen. Trias Mayor Antonio “Ony” Ferrer, Region 4-A Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Chief Jerome Reano, DOLE Undersecretary Joel Maglunsod, Region 4-A DOLE Director Zenaida Campita, Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) OIC-Deputy Director Justo Yusingco, and Lawyer Norma Tañag, Cavite Economic Zone manager.

Latest update showed that of the 126 injured, 24 remained confined in hospitals with 16 in critical condition. The victims were brought to the hospitals when the factory fire broke in the early evening of February 1. The fire lasted for 46 hours due to the woods, chemicals and other combustible materials in the factory. Initial findings showed that the fire was attributed to mechanical accident.

Some critical victims have to be transferred from one hospital to another with good burn surgeons and facilities.

During the conference, Remulla had expressed apprehension over the ability of the Divine Grace Hospital to treat HTI patients due to lack of com- petent burn surgeons, among other observations.

The hospital has yet to issue a statement about the governor’s observations.