Duterte orders immediate inspection of all buildings in quake-hit Mindanao
Credit to Author: THE MANILA TIMES| Date: Fri, 01 Nov 2019 03:15:08 +0000
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the immediate inspection of all buildings in areas affected by a series of strong earthquakes in Mindanao.
In a chance interview in Davao City on Thursday night, Duterte said the inspections should start immediately to ensure the safety of the public.
“Well, it is time for the LGUs to inspect all — all buildings. Umpisahan na nila ngayon (They should start now). The earthquake season has come. I don’t know if it will occur again between now and tomorrow,” Duterte said.
“Nobody but nobody can prevent an earthquake to happen. There’s no — there’s no accurate prediction diyan (there). Walang ano diyan (There’s nothing that can be done there), whether it would come or not. Ang akin for those who are staying in buildings, structures that are not fit for human habitation, tingnan nilang mabuti (they should take a closer look) because lalo na ‘yung mga may semento (especially those made of cement),” he added.
Duterte said that “if there are so many cracks and the cracks are really big… (is) an indication that it is already really an old structure or a structure which was built not in accordance with law.”
“I have to see it to judge whether or not talagang it would not — it is not — it was not built rather to — strong enough to withstand earthquakes,” he said.
The President also said he did not want disasters to happen while he was in Thailand for the 35th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit and Related Summits this week.
“Ang problema nito wala ako dito, sa Bangkok ako. So I do not want disasters to happen when I am not around. Not — not just for anything. Ano lang, just to be here and do what you can do for your countrymen,” said Duterte, who is scheduled to leave for Bangkok on Friday afternoon.
The President has designated Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea as officer-in-charge while he is abroad.
Duterte, who is in Davao City, was among those who felt the magnitude 6.5 temblor that rocked Cotabato and neighboring areas on Thursday morning.
The latest quake fueled more panic and fears as the region has yet to recover from two other powerful quakes earlier this month.
The tectonic tremor struck 33 kilometers northeast of Tulunan town, which was also the epicenter of Tuesday’s magnitude 6.6 quake and a magnitude 6.6 temblor on October 16.
The massive damage to infrastructure following the quake convinced Malacañang that it was “high time” to amend Republic Act (RA) 6541 or the National Building Code of the Philippines.
Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said he was optimistic that Congress would pass a measure that would introduce amendments to RA 6541.
“We are also calling on the legislature to amend the National Building Code to avoid further structural danger during natural disasters,” Andanar said in a statement on Thursday.
“It’s high time to revamp and tighten this outdated law as its current framework is very lax. Let us not wait for a disaster to happen before we become strict in granting building permits,” he added.
Andanar said Duterte has directed all concerned government agencies to expedite the delivery of assistance to the quake victims.
He also assured the public that the national government’s response teams from disaster risk management agencies were “on top of the situation.”
“He (Duterte) has ordered all government agencies to check and submit a report about the Mindanao earthquake, to ensure government buildings and public school buildings are safe, and to make sure evacuees are located in a safe area,” Andanar said.
“President Duterte has also instructed agencies with specific tasks with regards to their functions,” he said. CATHERINE S. VALENTE