Criminal charges against Valenzuela City mayor, eight others over factory fire that killed 74

Manila: Criminal charges will be filed against Valenzuela City Mayor Rexlon Gatchalian as well as eight others in connection with the footwear factory fire in May last year that killed 74 people, officials said.

According to Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, her office has already ordered various charges against Gatchalian, two officials from the business permit section of the city government, four from the Bureau of Fire Protection and Ong King Guan (a.k.a. Terence King Ong), the owner of Kentex; for their actions that ignited Kentex Manufacturing Corporation rubber slipper factory fire.

Deaths and injuries suffered could have been avoided if the owner followed government safety requirements, investigators said.

It had been suspected that the owner had paid grease money to city and fire safety inspectors to have their permits approved.

“The Office of the Ombudsman found that business permits and Fire Safety Inspection Certificates were issued by city officials despite blatant violations of the Fire Code. Based on the investigation, Kentex failed to install a wet standpipe system, unserviceable extinguishers, lack of automatic fire alarm and sprinkler system, and absence of fire exit drills for workers,” Carpio-Morales said.

The factory, was a virtual sweatshop were factory workers toil in closed conditions. Sworn testimonies of the survivors attested “that Kentex’s exit gates were locked or padlocked; there were no water sprinklers, fire extinguishers or fire alarms; and Kentex’s windows were enclosed with grills.”

“In 2014, Kentex was inspected by Bureau of Fire Protection (Valenzuela) twice and on both occasions, its fire safety measures were declared deficient,” it was said.

Earlier, International Labour Organisation (ILO) Director General Guy Ryder said the catastrophic fire exemplifies the unsafe conditions the workers are forced to bear with.

The European Union for its part described the high number of deaths from the fire as “shocking.”

Gatchalian is the official spokesman of the presidential candidate, Senator Grace Poe.