Fire hits Malabon City Hall

Key offices at the Malabon City Hall were destroyed when a two-hour fire broke out at the second floor of the three-story government building early yesterday.

At leas five night-shift employees, four of them detailed security personnel, were invited by police to shed light on the incident. They were identified as Joel Mercado, 29, Patrick Buenaventura, 21, Carlito Fuentes, 31, and Roderick Cruz and Enrique Buenaobra.

Buenaobra, who claimed to have worked as caretaker of City Hall in the last 11 years, said he was taking a bath in a comfort room on the third floor at around 5 a.m. when he smelled something burning.

"When I stepped out of the comfort room, I saw black smoke emanating from a room on the second floor, which I suspected was the budget office," Buenaobra told The STAR.

He said that he went to the third floor veranda until firefighters rescued him from the burning edifice using a firetruck ladder.

The four security men, all members of the Malabon City Civil Security Unit, said that they were all at the City Hall lobby when the fire started.

"When we noticed the smoke, it was already too thick that it was then impossible for us to go upstairs," Mercado said.

Mercado said they immediately reported the incident to the nearby fire station situated adjacent the City Hall.

Mercado said the fire could have been caused by faulty electrical wiring as all entrance and exit doors of the building were locked at night.

"Before we noticed the black smoke from the second floor, the electricity was fluctuating," Buenaventura said.

Malabon City police senior investigator Senior Inspector Realito Espireda said that it took Malabon firemen more than 20 minutes before they could respond to the fire.

SPO1 Rolando Saturno, however, blamed the security personnel for locking up even the main entrance of the City Hall, thereby delaying the entry of the firemen.

Firefighters were able to put off the blaze at around 7 a.m.

At least, three important offices, the personnel, budget, and human resources, were badly damaged.

Northern Police District director Chief Superintendent Marcelino Franco Jr., who personally inspected the damaged City Hall, ordered his men to conduct a thorough investigation on the incident.

While arson investigators are still conducting a probe yesterday, residents of Malabon suspect that the incident could have been the work of arsonists and may have even been politically motivated.

Mayor Canuto "Tito" Oreta, in a radio interview, called upon government agencies concerned to conduct a deeper investigation on the incident.