(UPDATE) SEARCH and rescue operations shifted to retrieval and clearing, after rescuers found no signs of life among those trapped inside the collapsed nine-story building in Barangay Balibago, Angeles City.
Bureau of Fire Protection Region 3 (Central Luzon) spokesman Fire Supt. Maria Leah Sajili said at 8:27 p.m. Monday that search and rescue efforts have been terminated after a decision was made in a briefing held by the Angeles City government, the Bureau of Fire Protection and the Pasig City government because no survivors could be detected at the site of the unfinished hotel building.
Results from Pasig City’s life locator equipment were consistent and final, indicating that there were no signs of life from the 16 other construction workers who were still missing.
“Today (Tuesday), we are transitioning to [a] retrieval and clearing operation, as we from the Unified Command decided last night to cease the search and rescue operation,” said Jay Pelayo, chief of Angeles Public Information Office, during a press briefing.
Hours earlier, the scanner picked up signs of life, but it was later found to be from animals and the responders themselves.
“We have done all the levels of verification, their findings are really consistent, because at first they were searching simultaneously so even rescuers on the other side were being picked up, resulting in cross-detection,” Sajili said.
In the wake of the collapse, four were confirmed dead, 16 were missing and 26 were rescued.
Responders have begun removing scaffolding, steel and other obstacles from the collapsed building.
Probe sought
Sen. Francis Pangilinan sought an investigation into the collapse of the nine-story building and filed Resolution 406 calling for a review of the National Building Code and related regulations.
Initial reports showed that the incident stemmed from unauthorized construction of an additional floor that may have weakened the building’s structural integrity.
Pangilinan said the probe aims to strengthen occupational safety standards and ensure accountability of concerned parties.
“This accident underscored the need to immediately strengthen the implementation of safety regulations in the construction of buildings, whether public or private,” he said in Filipino.
“Because in the end, it is our fellowmen who would suffer from this negligence,” Pangilinan added. “Our priority is the safety of our fellowmen.” He said the inquiry seeks to establish whether negligence, substandard materials, unauthorized modifications, insufficient oversight or deficiencies in permitting, inspection, occupational safety enforcement and disaster preparedness contributed to the building collapse.
Pangilinan called on relevant government agencies to provide immediate assistance, medical support, and transparent updates on rescue and recovery operations.
“We owe it to the victims to present the truth regarding this incident and come up with laws and policies to avoid a repeat of this tragedy in the future,” Pangilinan said.
Sen. Raffy Tulfo, meanwhile, filed Senate Bill 2158, or the proposed “New Philippine Building Act,” seeking to modernize the country’s building regulations and strengthen accountability in the construction industry amid growing concerns over public safety.
The measure aims to replace Presidential Decree 1096, otherwise known as the “National Building Code of the Philippines,” which has remained in force since 1977.
Tulfo said the nearly five-decade-old law no longer adequately addresses present-day construction practices, engineering technologies, disaster resiliency standards and urban development challenges.
“The current building code is already outdated and no longer responsive to the demands of modern construction and public safety,” Tulfo said.
The senator cited several recent construction-related incidents as justification for the urgent passage of the bill, including the collapse of a nine-story building under construction in Barangay Balibago, Angeles City, Pampanga, on May 24.
