Customs probes port building fire

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Customs (BOC) started yesterday its investigation on the fire that gutted the Port of Manila (POM) building, destroying P50 million worth of equipment and property on Friday night.

Customs Commissioner Rey Guerrero ordered the bureau’s intelligence group and intelligence and investigation service to determine the cause of the 10-hour fire.

“The Internal Administration Group along with the POM has been tasked to submit an incident report to the Finance secretary and the Office of the President,” Guerrero said.

He said the POM would resume normal operations tomorrow.

The BOC chief said documents and records destroyed by the fire would be restored soon.

“POM personnel will be working overtime this long weekend. The Management Information System and Technology Group are re-establishing the information system so the POM could resume operations,” Guerrero said.

“We want to assure the public that our operations will not be affected by the incident,” he added.

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said the blaze reached the fifth alarm on Friday night before it was put out at past 7 a.m. on Saturday. 

POM district collector Rhea Gregorio said the fire gutted the third and fourth floors of the building.

She said even if the first and second floors were not affected by the fire, documents were drenched in water when firefighters put out the flames.

The fire also destroyed some 300 shanties of informal settlers living in the area.

Former presidential political adviser and senatorial candidate Francis Tolentino said the BFP should come up with a credible report on the fire that struck the POM.

Tolentino cited Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada’s efforts to upgrade the city’s disaster and fire prevention measures.

Tolentino said a full assessment of fire incidents in the city would guide local officials in disaster mitigation and planning.

The Manila city government recently acquired modern firetrucks and other fire-fighting equipment.  – Jose Rodel Clapano