Probers still determining cause of fire at DOH-ARMM office

COTABATO CITY, Philippines - Fire probers are still to establish the real cause of fire- initially blamed on flawed electrical wiring system- that gutted a supply storage facility here of the health department in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, the ARMM's health secretary said.

Physician Kadil Sinolinding, Jr., regional secretary of the ARMM’s Department of Health, said employees assigned at the burnt building have been instructed to help the city’s fire bureau determine how the fire started and its real cause.

“Our administrative personnel are also still trying to account for all of the supplies that were burned too. What was consoling is that no one was hurt in incident,” Sinolinding said.

Sinolinding said he is convinced that the fire was not also caused by a lit cigarette possibly left by an employee carelessly at one spot in the storage facility, since the DOH-ARMM is a recipient of the national government’s red orchid award for the religious compliance by its employees with the nationwide ban on smoking in public offices.

The fire, which started past 10 a.m. Tuesday, was controlled an hour later by responding firemen from a station of the ARMM’s fire bureau inside the 32-regional government compound here, from the city’s fire department, and from municipal fire stations in nearby towns.

Investigators have initially assured they did not see any arson angle in the incident.

The buildings housing the region’s DOH officials are only about 500 meters away from the office of the region’s chief executive, Gov. Mujiv Hataman.