Duterte orders suspension of operations in all Chuzon Supermarket branches
Credit to Author: The Manila Times| Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2019 11:56:51 +0000
SAN FERNANDO CITY, Pampanga: President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday ordered the suspension of business operations for all branches of Chuzon Supermarket after its branch in Porac, Pampanga collapsed when a magnitude 6.1 earthquake rocked the province.
During a situation briefing here, Duterte approved the recommendation of Interior Secretary Eduardo Año to suspend business permits of all Chuzon chains.
“Well in all probability, the one who constructed the supermarket here could also be the one who constructed the others. I’d like to presume that although I stand corrected,” Duterte said.
“So it would be good at this time to just give them the advice to stop, cease and desist in doing business until such time that the clearance [is] given by government,” he added.
At least four were killed while dozens remain reportedly missing after the four-storey supermarket collapsed during the earthquake on Monday afternoon.
When asked by Duterte why Chuzon Supermarket collapsed, Año said the mall was meant to have only two storeys but was constructed with four storeys.
Duterte said he wanted authorities to investigate the incident to determine “the structural integrity, whether it was a man-made defect or just a bad day for them.”
Duterte said there were “a lot of questions” because the supermarket was only “four years” old.
He said he found the “extensive damage appalling” considering that “none of the surrounding buildings collapsed.”
The President said he wanted to find out whether there was a “deliberate move to do away with safety standards” or “there was a compliance with the requirements of the law” and what happened was one of those “quirks.” CATHERINE S. VALENTE
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