By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga
Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia yesterday had called for the formation of a task force which will investigate the Java Pension House fire which killed six people.
In a press conference called by the mayor prior to a meeting with the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Bacolod City Police Office and officials from the City Engineers and Office of the Building Official, he said he was saddened over the incident as it not only created damage to property, but also cost human lives.
The mayor said the building has a sentimental value to the city, as it was previously known as the Bascon Hotel which is considered as one of the pillars of the locality’s tourism industry.
“We would like to dig in to this,” Leonardia said.
The mayor also thanked the Amity and Chamber Volunteer Fire Brigades for helping the BFP in rescuing the trapped guests.
In a bid to prevent the disaster from reoccurring, Leonardia said the BFP and the involved city government agencies to fully implement fire safety rules.
“I even suggested to the [BFP] that they should keep a copy of the evacuation plan of every building in the city,” Leonardia said.
When asked if BFP-Bacolod fire marshall, Fire Chief Inspector Publio Ploteña had informed him if they have found a lead, Leonardia replied that he tried not to make very speculative statements and would answer deeper questions later.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Java Pension House was gutted by fire killing the establishment’s owner Christopher Java, his 12-year-old son Miguel and 70-year-old mother Magdalena , and housekeeper 44-year-old Ronalyn Dacallo.
One of the initially unidentified fatalities has now positively been identified as Arnold Felomino, the pension house’s front desk employee.
The other fatality is still unrecognizable as the remains were badly burned.
The Australian national reported to be in critical condition has now been identified as Paul Codognato, who is still confined at Bacolod City’s Riverside Medical Center.
BFP arson investigators are still probing the cause of the blaze but initial findings show that the fire began at the hotel’s ground floor hallway which quickly traveled to the upper floors.
The fire is also noted to be the worst in Bacolod this year, with damages estimated at P8 million./DGB, WDJ
