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WE remember today the Ozone Disco fire that killed
160 celebrators and injured 95 others on Timog Avenue, Quezon City,
on March 18, 1996. Most of the victims were students celebrating the
end of the school year. The fire that struck after midnight raged
four hours.
We remember the tragic fire as
the government marks Fire Prevention Month by paying token service
to fire prevention and fire safety.
We do not know how many of the
owners and the Quezon City government officials linked to the fire
were jailed, fined, dismissed, cleared or suspended.
In March 2001, a court found two
owners guilty of reckless imprudence. In November 2001, 12 city
government officials pleaded innocent to charges of reckless
imprudence that caused the fire. On August 2007, the Sandiganbayan
acquitted a former Quezon City engineer and building official of
criminal liability. The court said the prosecution failed to prove
the official had anything to do with the issuance of safety
clearances to the disco.
Government investigation showed
that the establishment was a firetrap. The disco, among other flaws,
had no safety exits. The entrance did not have the standard
“swing-in, swing-out” door. The city government had issued the
place a business permit without inspection.
The majority of the survivors and
the families of the victims feel they have not been served justice.
The living must bear their psychological, physical and
mental scars for as long as they live.
Another fire that comes to mind
is the Manor Hotel Fire that killed 47 guests and workers on Aug.
18, 2001. Like the Ozone inferno, gross negligence contributed to
the tragedy.
Mysterious, unsolved fires are as
plenty as unresolved murders. The majority is related to accidents
and negligence. Arson, a serious crime, cannot be discounted. Poor,
late or anomalous response to fires explain their magnitude and
persistence.
The human and economic costs of
fires are incalculable. The personal tragedy is worse than physical
loss to residence, property or business. The disruption to family
and community life is upsetting. Rebuilding and reconstruction is
difficult without fire insurance and community support. The claim on
government resources is formidable. Put together, the economic costs
of fires in the country represent a great national drain.
Fire in the Senate
OUR lawmakers are planning to
revoke Section 20, the rule in the work of the bicameral Commission
on Appointments that effectively stalls the confirmation process for
a particular session until the next one begins.
As explained by opinion-maker Dan
Mariano, “any member can invoke Section 20 to suspend
consideration of any nomination or appointment—including those
favorably recommended by a standing committee and the
chairman—without question from the bicameral body.”
Sen. Jamby Madrigal invoked the
rule last week to protest the promotion of 24 military officers.
Earlier, she fulminated when an officer proposed for promotion, but
whose advancement she had questioned, received confirmation without
her notice. She was present on the premises during the deliberations
but apparently was busy doing something else.
She returned with a vengeance.
She claimed her right to Section 20 and that derailed the commission
that wanted to speed up work while it had time before the Holy Week
recess. More thoughtful senators—Mar Roxas. Dick Gordon and Pong
Biazon—tried to prevail on her to listen to reason, but the angry
legislator, still suffering from last week’s perceived
slight, soldiered on.
The rule-makers placed Section 20
in the books for a good reason. A member could raise it to protest
railroading of a questionable candidate or to thwart hardheaded
majority rule. In the current session, the Commission on
Appointments has been accused of corruption through exchange deals
over jobs, privileges and financial favors. Corruption could have
been a good excuse for invoking the rule. But that was not what
Senator Madrigal had in mind.
She said she wanted to
“reform” the CA. She said she wanted to send a “strong”
message. “Tapusin na natin ang bata-bata at padrino system sa
Commission on Appointments.”
The 22 members of the commission,
led by Senate President Manny Villar, have agreed
reforms are necessary. They’re planning to revoke Section 20
altogether and save it from abuse. Another approach is to insist
that the rule be raised at the committee level, not at
the plenary session.
Some senators have broached the
“two-strike” solution. A candidate who was rejected twice by the
commission must be considered permanently bypassed. That
disqualifies Secretary of Finance Gary Teves who has eluded
confirmation in the past two years. His father, himself a former
representative, has revealed that several congressmen had demanded a
price for his son’s confirmation.
We propose the Delicadeza Rule.
If the CA has turned down a nominee at least three times for very
serious reasons, the President ought to withdraw his appointment and
inform the body accordingly. The secretary-designate may also
request the Chief Executive to withdraw his nomination. It saves
faces, reputations and embarrassing personal piques all around.
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