Barangay Arkong Bato virtually turned into a "ghost town" with no one selling firecrackers along the street noted for fireworks, the police and fire marshall of Valenzuela City said in their report to Interior and Local Government Secretary Alfredo Lim.
Lim had earlier ordered National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief director Edgar Aglipay to conduct a thorough investigation into the explosion last Wednesday.
After a sortie, Valenzuela City police chief Superintendent Nemesio Neron said he suspected someone must have leaked news of a police raid on Barangay Arkong Bato because the area was "cleared" of firecrackers.
Because of the leak, Neron and Valenzuela Fire marshall Chief Inspector Efren Yadao and their men returned to headquarters empty-handed.
The Wednesday explosion occurred after a buyer Allegedly threw a lighted cigarette into a pile of firecrackers when he failed to get a discount.
The explosion claimed the lives of Eduardo Rivera, 37; his wife Julie; son Ron-ron, 9; Eduardo’s mother Herminia, 62, passerby Crisologo Cabrera and one unidentified person.
Lim admitted the laxity of authorities in the issuance of permits to manufacture and sell firecrackers.
"There is an apparent laxity in the issuance of permits to vendors of firecrackers," the interior secretary said.