RECOVERED. A bag of jewelry is among the PHP23 million worth of recovered valuables from the Gaisano Grand Mall of Antique fire incident last June 17, 2021. San Jose de Buenavista Fire Marshall Inspector Ulysses Paco said in an interview Monday (July 12, 2021) that cash, jewelry, and other valuable items have been returned to the tenants. (Photo courtesy of San Jose de Buenavista BFP)
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – A total of PHP23 million worth of cash, pieces of jewelry, and other valuables found intact at the burned building of the Gaisano Grand Mall of Antique have been returned to their owners.
San Jose de Buenavista Fire Marshal Ulysses Paco, in an interview on Monday, said mall tenants were allowed to enter the burned structure after the arson team from the national headquarters of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) completed their investigation on July 3, 2021.
“Five tenants per day were then allowed to go inside the burned structure accompanied (by) the BFP personnel so they could retrieve their items,” he said.
Paco said the mall has 53 tenants and as of Monday, only a fast-food chain franchise store is yet to finish with the retrieval of their equipment.
Meanwhile, Paco said that they are still waiting for the findings of the arson team.
The team from national headquarters led by Supt. Romeo Pepito, Jr. arrived here on June 30, almost two weeks after the fire.
“The evidence they gathered will still be subjected to laboratory examination,” he said.
Paco said the PHP833 million estimated damage is expected to increase once the arson team renders its report.
“The PHP23,032,937 million worth of cash, jewelry, and other valuables that had been retrieved had not yet been included in our initial estimate,” he added.
He said the recovered valuables and cash were still in good form as these were placed inside plastics or bags and kept in vaults.
The fire also broke the glass cabinet where pieces of jewelry were displayed but the gems were intact. (PNA)
