According to DPWH Undersecretary Ricardo Bernabe III, no sensitive documents were burned in the fire that broke out at the DPWH-CAR office on Wednesday, January 14. This was mentioned in the Senate during the hearing on the multi-billion peso flood control scandal.
In the Senate, Sen. Risa Hontiveros asked Bernabe about the documents affected by the fire and the possible cause of the incident. According to reports, the fire started in the Financial Management Records Room of the DPWH-CAR. Although there is speculation of arson, Bernabe insisted that the cause is still uncertain as the investigation by the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) continues.
Bernabe explained that all the burned files were old records and the agency had duplicate copies. “There were no sensitive documents and everything was in a copy,” he added. The DPWH is currently coordinating with the BFP to ensure the security of the documents and prevent such incidents in the future.
Baguio City Fire Marshal Mark Anthony Dangatan also confirmed that the fire originated in the Financial Management Records Room. It burned an estimated one square meter, and the fire was brought under control within 11 minutes after it was reported.
Despite the incident, Bernabe assured that the agency has measures to protect documents, including scanning and duplicating records. “There are standards to prevent fires, but when an incident like this happens, all we can do is make sure that all documents are copied and safe,” Bernabe said.
