Metro-wide fire safety inspection of factories starts

Photo by Julliane Love De Jesus/INQUIRER.net

INTERIOR Secretary Mar Roxas met on Tuesday with Metro Manila mayors as local government units start the fire safety inspection of industrial facilities following the deadly factory fire in Valenzuela City.

This was after President Benigno Aquino III announced  on Monday that Roxas would meet with mayors to update them with the government’s actions to prevent a repeat of the fire that killed 72 people.

Aquino also ordered concerned agencies to inspect all 300,000 buildings in Metro Manila.

In a press briefing at Camp Crame, Roxas said facilities and establishments that are using toxic and flammable materials would be prioritized in the inspection.

“Lahat ng pupuntahang industrial facilities iche-check kung mayroon bang automatic sprinkler system, naka-enclose ba ang fire exit, ang exterior fire exit na ang labas ay nasa labas na ng building,” Roxas said.

Each inspection team will be composed of representatives from the office of the mayor, Bureau of Fire Protection, Department of Labor and Employment and Philippine National Police.
Roxas said teams aim to complete inspection of 10,000 industrial facilities from 16 local government units within the month of June.

After the fire that struck a rubber slipper factory owned by Kentex Manufacturing Inc., the BFP went to factories in Valenzuela City and found that 23 factories have been violating fire safety regulations.

Valenzuela City Mayor Rex Gatchalian was among those who attended in the meeting held at the PNP headquarters in Quezon City.

Gatchalian said legal liabilities of the local government over the Kentex fire were not discussed in the meeting.

“It was not a legal type of meeting. It was a type of how to move forward and how to prevent this from happening,” he said in an ambush interview after the meeting.

This was confirmed by Roxas, who said he had told Gatchalian that the meeting was not the proper forum to talk about the liabilities of the Valenzuela LGU.

“Hindi ako abugado at hindi siya abugado. Ang DOJ (Department of Justice) at prosecutor ang magpapasya kung ano ang legal liabilities sa naganap sa Valenzuela,” he said.

Others who attended the meeting were Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista, Pasig City Mayor Ma. Belen Eusebio, Marikina City Mayor Del de Guzman III, Malabon City Mayor Natolin Oreta III, Navotas City Mayor John Rey Tiangco, Valenzuela City Mayor Rex Gatchalian; Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez, Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano, and Pateros Mayor Joey Medina. AC