Ombudsman orders probe into DPWH fire amid flood control controversy

The Office of the Ombudsman expressed concern over the fire that broke out at the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bureau of Research and Standards building in Quezon City on Wednesday afternoon.

In a statement sent to the media by Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla directed the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) to investigate the incident and determine if there were any malicious motives behind the blaze.

“The Ombudsman has directed the immediate coordination with the National Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Fire Protection to determine the cause of the fire and to establish whether arson or any deliberate act was committed,” the statement said.

Remulla said the incident was “disturbing,” noting that the facility holds critical records relevant to several investigations—including those involving the controversial flood control projects.

“Hopefully it has a natural cause, but I'm sure there are backup documents regarding this. It’s a working day, so people were able to save their computers,” Remulla said in a mix of Filipino and English.“Of course, it's disturbing that in a place like Quezon City, the records of an office would burn down—an office that still needs to gather many pieces of evidence for investigations. So we're just worried that it might ‘stifle’ some investigations,” he added.