BFP bares Hall of Justice’s fire code violations

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BY RESEL JOY TIANERO
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Wednesday, March 22, 2017
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ILOILO City – The Chief Justice Ramon Q. Avanceña Hall of Justice on Bonifacio Drive was a fire hazard when the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) inspected it on March 2.

But it has since moved to correct the violations that BFP inspectors noted, said City Fire Marshal Jerry Candido.

The inspectors listed the edifice’s several violations of the Fire Code of the Philippines. These were the following:

* defective automatic fire extinguishers

* no fire alarm control

* no emergency light

* no directional fire exit signage

* no fire exit.

After the inspection, the building – also known as the Iloilo Hall of Justice – started correcting the violations, said Candido.

As of yesterday, it already had directional fire exit signage, he revealed.

The emergency light was fixed and the building also secured a fire hose, added Candido.

“Ang bulubudlay lang gid nga himuon nila nga i-comply amo ang pag-prepare sang ila nga pipe breakage sa pagbutang liwat sang control panel sang fire alarm,” the fire marshal said.

He stressed the importance of an automatic fire alarm system.

“Makasimhot lang sya sang init, magwa ang tubig. Amo na nga indi dayon magdako ang kalayo,” said Candido.

BFP actually gave the Chief Justice Ramon Q. Avanceña Hall of Justice only until today to correct all the deficiencies listed.

The Department of Justice exercises supervision over the building.

March is Fire Prevention Month. BFP urged the public to be conscious of fire safety.

The building was retrofitted in 2013 following a 5.7 magnitude earthquake on Feb. 6, 2012. It sustained cracks.

The three-story edifice was built during the administration of then President Corazon Aquino in 1991.

Then Regional Director Evelyn Barroso recommended the immediate abandonment and closure of the Hall of Justice following an inspection on Feb. 14, 2012 – a week after the strong quake. There were cracks on the main girders, beams and concrete columns.

The Iloilo Hall of Justice houses 18 branches of Regional Trial Court (RTC), four branches of the Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) of Iloilo City, the Iloilo Provincial Prosecution Offices, the Iloilo City Provincial Prosecution Offices, Office of the Regional Prosecutor, Public Attorney’s Office, and Regional Parole and Probation Offices, Offices of the Clerks of Court of RTC and MTCC, Office of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Iloilo Chapter, the Philippine Mediation Center, and RTC library./PN

 

 

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