By Jocelyn P. Alvarez
ZAMBOANGA CITY - Owners of a commercial establishment at Barangay
Guiwan in this city are in hot water after a huge fire Friday night due to firecracker
and pyrotechnics explosion, leaving huge damage to property.
Public Information Officer-City
Mayor’s Office (PIO-CMO) Belen Covarrubias said “Mayor Beng Climaco wanted
those responsible for the incident punished.”
The mayor saw negligence as culprit to
the inferno-like fire and she planned to file charges against the owners.
Investigations disclosed
that a large number of firecrackers and pyrotechnics were stored in the said
establishment that set ablaze the latter and three other neighboring stalls.
Covarrubias said “reports from authorities showed that the
said establishment –the CT Fireworks and Pyrotechnics owned and managed by
Daisy Bangayan-Aquino – is operating under an expired license from the Civil
Security Group as of January 30, 2013 and expired locational clearance from the
CPDO as of December 31, 2012 and has no business permit from the Office of the
Mayor.”
Covarrubias said that per
executive order issued in 2012, the City Government would process or issue
permits to dealers of firecracker and pyrotechnics during September to December
only “to ensure that the establishment will not store a large volume of such
devices throughout the year.”
“The same executive order prohibits
the storage of more than 50 kilograms of firecrackers and pyrotechnics in the
display store if and when a dealer is duly licensed by concerned authorities,”
stressed Covarrubias. (PIA9)
