MANILA, Philippines — Two children died while another was injured when a fire razed a residential area in Taguig City before New Year, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) reported yesterday.
Arson pr obers identified the fatalities as Karl Anthony Magno, 10, and April Mae Guinoo, 6.
Jaimae Guinoo, 13, suffered second degree burns on her right arm and leg.
Separate fires also broke out in the cities of Parañaque, Muntinlupa, Las Piñas, Malabon, Manila and Caloocan over the weekend.
In Taguig, Senior Insp. Demetrio Sablan Jr. said the fire started at the house of Eduardo Guinoo in Barangay Ususan at past 4 p.m. on Sunday.
The fire reac hed first alarm before it was declared under control at past 5 p.m.
According to the BFP, around 11 other families were displaced by the fire.
Damage to property was placed at P100,000.
Arson investigators said they have yet to determine the cause of the fire.
In Parañaque, a fire struck a commercial building along Aguirre Avenue in Barangay BF Homes.
The BFP said the fi re started at around 12:13 p.m. at a carinderia owned by Lucita and Michael Caampued.
At least 18 firetrucks responded to contain the fire.
The fire reached first alarm before it was put out at around 12:33 p.m.
No one was reported injured in the incident. Damage to property was estimated at P400,000.
The BFP said the fire started on the ground floor of the establishment.
Another fire broke out at a warehouse in Barangay Cupang, Muntinlupa City on New Year’s Eve.
In a r eport, the BFP said the blaze, which lasted for over eight hours, started at around 10:45 p.m.
The fire reached second alarm before it was declared under control at 6:52 a.m. yesterday.
In Las Piñas City, a fire gutted a residential area at past 8 p.m.
Arson probers said they are still investigating the cause of the fires that struck Muntinlupa and Las Piñas.
In Malabon, at least 15 families were left homeless after a fire broke out at a residential area in Barangay Panghulo on Sunday night.
According to the BFP, the fire, which reached first alarm, started at around 9:12 p.m. and was declared out 14 minutes later.
The city’s disaster risk reduction and management office chief Roderick Tongol told The STAR that an unidentified resident was injured during the fire.
He said the affected families sought shelter at the barangay covered court.
Arson probers are still identifying what caused the fire and the estimated cost of damage.
Two warehouses containing parcel products were razed by a fire in Barangay Potrero, Malabon before dawn yesterday.
The BFP raised the alarm to Task Force Alpha at around 2:12 a.m. before it was declared out at around 10 a.m.
Tongol said no residential areas were affected by the fire.
District fire marshal Douglas Guiab said in an interview on dzBB yesterday that firefighters encountered difficulty because the source of water was more than five kilometers away.
“The road going there is narrow and the water supply was weak. So our firefighters were a bit delayed, which is the usual problem in these situations,” he said.
He added that at least 35 firetrucks from the BFP and fire volunteers responded to the site.
Despite the presence of fire hydrants, Guiab said the water was insufficient due to the low water pressure in the area.
In Caloocan, a fire broke out at a warehouse of motorcycle parts in Barangay 79 at past midnight yesterday.
No casualties were reported, the BFP said.
In Manila, three fires struck residential areas in San Andres, Tondo and Recto Avenue. — Mark Ernest Villeza, Ghio Ong
MANILA, Philippines — The Land Transportation Office (LTO) yesterday ordered a 90-day preventive suspension on the driver’s license of a motorist whose sport utility vehicle (SUV) crashed into a bank in Quezon City, leaving one person dead and six others injured on Dec. 28.
According to LTO chief Vigor Mendoza II, both the driver and the registered owner of the SUV have been summoned to explain the circumstances that led to the fatal accident.
Mendoza expressed his condolences to the family of a bank client who died in the accident.
LTO National Capital Region officer-in-charge Hanzley Lim issued the show-cause order against the driver, who resides in Baliuag, Bulacan.
Mendoza said the driver faces possible violations of Joint Administrative Order 2014-01 for reckless driving and Republic Act 4136, otherwise known as the Land Transportation and Traffic Code.
The motorist also faces a maximum penalty of cancellation of driver’s license for being an improper person to operate a motor vehicle.
Based on initial investigation, the motorist put the SUV in reverse, but it suddenly accelerated and hit a vehicle parked nearby before crashing into a bank along Quirino Highway in Barangay Pasong Putik.
A female bank customer died and six others suffered injuries following the accident.
The driver and registered owner of the SUV were ordered to appear before the LTO NCR office on Jan. 10.
“Failure to appear and submit a notarized affidavit will be construed as a waiver to be heard and controvert the allegations against you, leaving this office to resolve the case administratively based on the available records,” the LTO’s show-cause order read.
Mendoza added that the LTO’s investigation is independent from the probe being conducted by the Philippine National Police.
MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. has acknowledged the commitment and sacrifices of PNP officers, emphasizing their role as the “cornerstone of a safer and more secure Philippines.”
In his New Year’s Day message yesterday, Acorda expressed gratitude for the dedication and collective strength demonstrated by PNP members in 2023.
He commended the resilience displayed by the police in the face of unprecedented challenges in ensuring the safety and well-being of Filipinos.
“You have stood firm and exemplified the true spirit of service, ensuring the safety of our countrymen,” Acorda said.
He urged the public to carry forward the lessons of 2023.
Acorda called for fostering unity, cooperation and understanding among the diverse communities in the pursuit of a safer and progressive nation.
Success, he said, lies in the ability to work together, transcending differences and embracing the diversity that defines the Philippines.
Acorda encouraged PNP personnel to handle the challenges of 2024 with positivity and determination, and serve the country with integrity.
MANILA, Philippines — The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) seized 11,101 assorted illegal firecrackers with an estimated value of nearly P400,000 during the New Year revelry.
In a report yesterday, the NCRPO said 5,947 illegal firecrackers were confiscated by the Quezon City Police District.
The Northern Police District seized 1,228 banned firecrackers, followed by the Eastern Police District with 1,103; Manila Police District, 292; Southern Police District, 225, and the Regional Special Operations Group with 2,381.
The NCRPO said 13 people have been arrested for the illegal use, sale and possession of fireworks.
Police have recorded over 30 firecracker-related injuries across the metropolis.
Nearly 4,000 police personnel were deployed in Metro Manila to ensure a safe and peaceful New Year’s celebration.