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LUZON QUAKE

Chuzon Supermarket owner denies irregularities in building's construction


 

The camp of the owner of the collapsed supermarket in Porac, Pampanga, has denied irregularities in the construction of the building.

"Pumasa naman sa lahat ng testing and in fact may soil test pa nga," said Atty. Adenn Sigua, lawyer of Chuzon Supermarket owner Samuel Chu, in Jun Veneracion's report on Balitanghali on Thursday.

The four-storey Chuzon Supermarket collapsed during the April 22 magnitude 6.1 earthquake, burying dozens of people. At least seven have been confirmed dead from the incident.

Chu's camp denied that the establishment's structural design was only configured for a two-storey building.

"It was originally a four-storey building," Sigua said.

The police have started an investigation to determine the possible liability of the supermarket's owner, as well as the local officials who approved its design.

"Bumubuo kami ng malakas na kaso against the owner," said Police Colonel Rhoderick Armamento, deputy for operations of Police Regional Office 3.

He said the owner of the supermarket may face charges for negligence resulting in multiple homicide and physical injuries.

Aside from the one in Porac, Chuzon Supermarket also has branches in Floridablanca and Santo Tomas in Pampanga; Gerona in Tarlac; and Mariveles in Bataan.

According to a separate report by Susan Enriquez on GMA News TV's Balita Pilipinas Ngayon, the branches in Floridablanca and Santo Tomas, Pampanga have already stopped operations after post-quake cracks were seen in the buildings.

On the other hand, the main branch in Tarlac and the other one in Bataan remain open.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier ordered the suspension of operations of all branches of Chuzon Supermarket after its grocery store in Porac, Pampanga collapsed and claimed five lives.

Around 100 employees per branch will likely be affected by the order, according to Chu's camp.

Chu has promised to give a P50,000 cash assistance to each of the families of those killed in the accident, as well as shoulder the hospital bills of those injured. —KBK/RSJ, GMA News

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