MBC reports at least 2 alleged looting incidents after Star City fire

Photo posted on Twitter shows the fire at Star City as authorities raised the fourth alarm. (Photo courtesy of Fire Alert Metro Manila)

MANILA, Philippines — The Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC) revealed Wednesday that at least two of its employees have lost valuables due to alleged looting following a fire that hit the Star City, which also affected facilities of the network.

MBC Vice President Deo Macalma said the company plans to file a complaint before the Pasay City police after he found his valuables already missing inside two drawers which had been opened inside his office. He added another employee lost P60,000 cash.

Macalma said his office was not even affected by the fire that hit the amusement park shortly after Wednesday midnight.

READ: Fire hits Star City in Pasay

“Imposibleng may makikialam or outsider dahil may instruction kami at trusted namin ‘yung mga guards namin na nandoon. Simula noong sunog, walang ibang nakapasok. Kaming mga empleyado di makapasok eh. Ang nakapasok lamang doon ay mga firemen,” he said in an interview with DZMM.

(It is impossible that there was an outsider because we relayed instructions to our security guards. Since the fire started, no one else entered the office. Even us employees cannot even enter. Only firemen were allowed to enter.)

Macalma said the MBC has yet to estimate the value of items stolen at their office, since only two rooms have so far been accessed by their employees.

He added they have reported the incident to the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), which in turn advised that affected employees file a complaint before the police for an impartial investigation.

BFP chief Fire Director Leonard Bañago, meanwhile, said the bureau will also investigate the alleged looting. He also explained that not only fire personnel were deployed during the fire but also volunteer fire brigades.

“Hindi rin natin masasabi kung may mga nagpunta o sumalisi. Kasama ito sa aalamin natin. Hindi lang BFP ang nand’yan sa area nung time na ‘yan. Marami rin pong ibang nagpunta d’yan sigurado na nanuod o nakialam sa ating operation,” he added.

(We cannot say if an outsider entered the office. We will also look into this. It was not just BFP personnel who were in the area during that time. Perhaps a lot of bystanders also watched the operation.)

Investigators eye arson as the possible cause of the fire. /jpv

READ: Star City fire caused by arson — investigators