Roxas: Kentex owners should be held accountable for deadly fire

For Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, the owners of Kentex Manufacturing Inc. factory in Valenzuela City and those who let them operate despite their violations of fire safety regulations should be held accountable for the massive fire that killed 72 people.

“Sa aking pananaw, ang may pananagutan ay ang Kentex at ‘yung nagpahintulot na mag-operate ang Kentex kahit may mga nakitang violations sa fire code ang Bureau of Fire Protection,” Roxas said in a statement sent to media.

“In fact, sinita ng BFP ang Kentex at alam nila na may mga violations sila kaya hindi sila nakakuha ng fire safety inspection certificate,” he added.

Roxas said this when he was asked to give a reaction on the cases lodged against him for his alleged role in the deadly fire.

But the Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary stressed, although he has not seen the report, that it is the prerogative of survivors and families of fire victims to file charges.

On Monday, the lawyer of survivors and families of fire victims filed charges before the Office of Ombudsman against Roxas, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz, BFP director Chief Supt. Ariel Barayuga and other Department of Labor and Employment and BFP officials.

On behalf of the Justice for Kentex Workers Alliance, lawyer Remigio Saladero filed criminal charges of  negligence resulting in multiple homicide and physical injuries against the officials.

They were also slapped with administrative charges of misfeasance of duties and neglect in the performance of functions.