Manila government employees summoned over blaze

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) has summoned employees assigned to the Manila’s Office of the Clerk of Court (OCC) to shed light on the fire that gutted a portion of the office on the fourth floor of the Manila City Hall.

However, the names of the employees were withheld pending the outcome of the investigation of the fire last Friday.

Grace Manuel, OCC administrative chief, said they have yet to determine the extent of the damage, but gave assurance that "the fire has not reallly affected our day-to-day operations."

"What we heard was that the docket book for criminal cases was among those destroyed, but they can easily be reconstituted because all the cases were raffled off to different judges with their control numbers," Manuel said.

According to reports, Gilbert de la Cruz, who works for Branch 47, came out of a theater at SM Manila at around 11 p.m. to go back to his office and get something he left early that day.

Later, De la Cruz spotted smoke billowing from the OCC area, prompting him to call security.

"Had he not seen the smoke, the entire City Hall could have burned down. To us, he is a hero," Manuel said. – Cecille Suerte Felipe