Serendra unit owner, occupant’s kin eye lawsuit vs Ayala Land

MANILA, Philippines - The owner of the Two Serendra condominium unit destroyed in the May 31 explosion and the relatives of the unit’s occupant are planning to file a lawsuit against Ayala Land Inc. for alleged negligence.

Raymond Fortun – lawyer of US-based businesswoman Marianne Cayton, who owns Unit 501-B – told reporters during the weekly Kapihan sa Diamond Hotel in Manila yesterday that the lawsuit could be filed if Ayala Land, developer of the Two Serendra condominium, does not compensate his client and the relatives of Filipino-American Angelito San Juan, a family friend who was occupying Cayton’s unit at the time of the explosion.

He said as of yesterday, Ayala Land has not communicated or sent any notice to Cayton regarding the possible settlement of the case.

“We cannot really understand why Ayala has not communicated with the family of Cayton, the most affected party of the blast,” he said.

Fortun had earlier said that Cayton was frustrated with the delays in the investigation of the blast that killed San Juan and three men who were in a delivery van when a slab from the condominium wall, propelled by the explosion, fell on the vehicle as it passed the building.

San Juan, 63, died at past midnight Thursday at the intensive care unit of St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig City, where he was being treated for second-degree burns on 85 percent of his body. Fortun said San Juan succumbed to multiple organ failure.

Initial police reports indicated that the explosion was caused by a leak from the centralized piped-in liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) system.

Fortun said he had reviewed documents on the property and Ayala Land could be held liable for the blast since it is the developer, supplier of the piped-in LPG and manager of Serendra’s two towers.

He said since a “master-servant relationship” exists between Ayala Land and the supplier of the LPG gas, Bonifacio Gas Co., the building managers could be sued for civil damages.

Fortun also said although Ayala Land shouldered San Juan’s hospital bills and the cost of transporting his remains to the United States, the issue of compensation must also be settled either in or out of court.

He expressed concern over the delays in the investigation, the results of which would form the basis of their legal action.