PNP orders parallel probe into Sultan Kudarat fire

MANILA, Philippines - The local police commander in Sultan Kudarat on Tuesday ordered a thorough investigation into the fire that broke out in the provincial Hall of Justice in Isulan town, following speculations that the fire was deliberately set ablaze. Senior Superintendent Teng Tocao, chief of the Sultan Kudarat Provincial Police Office, said he has ordered a parallel police investigation into the fire that occurred 7:30 p.m. Monday. Tocao noted that reports of an explosion inside the building could have set off the two-hour fire. "The chief of police of Isulan was already instructed to conduct a separate investigation. This is apart from the investigation being conducted by the Bureau of Fire Protection which is the lead agency," said Tocao. The official, however, said they are not discounting the possibility that the explosion was triggered by ammunition being kept inside the establishment as evidence. Tocao said the fire affected a portion of the Regional Trial Court Branch 19 and the Public Attorney's Office (PAO), both housed in the Hall of Justice. Quoting field reports, Tocao said the local firefighters were able to immediately respond to the incident but still, it took them more than two hours to control the blaze. Local arson investigators have yet to determine how and where the fire originated. Authorities have yet to assess the total amount of damage incurred in the two-hour blaze. - GMANews.TV