Ombudsman Remulla finds DPWH fire in QC 'disturbing'

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla has expressed concern over the fire incident in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) office in Quezon City on Wednesday.

Remulla said that it was "disturbing" that an office of an agency under investigation would be hit by fire.

He said he was asking the National Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Fire Protection 

saying this could be a move to conceal evidence amid the ongoing investigation on anomalous flood control projects.

“I am asking the NBI and the BFP to check if there's arson, kung sadyang sinunog o aksidente. Madali naman malaman kung arson, pero hopefully, natural cause ‘yan. I'm sure that there are backup documents. It is a working day so people were able to save their computers, which contain the information,” Remulla said.

(Was it intentional or an accident? It would be easy to determine if it is arson. )

NBI is the National Bureau of Investigation while BFP is the Bureau of Fire Protection.

“[Pero] siyempre, it's disturbing that in a place like Quezon City, may masusunog yung record sa isang office na maraming investigation pa ang kinakailangang mangyari. We're just worried that it might stifle some or become an excuse to evade responsibility,” Remulla added.

(But of course, it is disturbing that there was a fire there in an office which is relevant  to the ongoing investigation.)

The fire incident in DPWH Quezon City reached third alarm but was declared fire out by 2 pm also on Wednesday, October 22.

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said last month that there are at least 35 flood control projects missing in Quezon City. –NB, GMA Integrated News