Philippines to sanction firms involved in deadly fire

The Philippines said on Tuesday it would investigate whether safety regulations were ignored at an office where a fire killed 37 call centre employees, and vowed to impose sanctions if firms had not met standards. The remains of 37 employees of the US-based Research Now SSI killed by Saturday's fire in Davao City have been recovered and a criminal investigation will be launched by the Justice Department.
Labour Secretary Silvestre Bello said he had instructed the government's workplace health and safety agency and the Labour Ministry's regional office in Davao, President Rodrigo Duterte's hometown, to investigate if there were lapses in safety standards. The fire broke out at a furniture store on the third level of the 14-year-old New City Commercial Center and quickly engulfed an outsourcing business on the upper floor, based on an initial report from the city government.
"We will immediately look into possible violations of some safety and health standards," Bello told Reuters. "We may not issue any clearance to operate," he said when asked to clarify sanctions that could be imposed on the mall or call centre management if culpable.
Research Now SSI has confirmed 37 of its 500 employees in its Davao call centre were "lost" in the fire. "We cannot comment on what is an ongoing investigation," said Barbara Palmer, company senior vice president for global marketing, in an email in response to a Reuters query on Tuesday about safety protocols at the company's Davao office.