MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Monday said the fire marshal of Tuguegarao City has been sacked, following a fire that razed Bed and Breakfast Pension House, leading to the death of 15 individuals, nine of whom are nursing hopefuls.

Director Rolando Bandilla, BFP Chief, said Tuguegarao Fire Chief Inspector Neil Caranguinan has been relieved of his post so that there would be no influence on the outcome of the investigation, which is now being undertaken by Senior Superintendent Segio Soriano, Region 2 director.

Provincial director Supt. Jess Fernandez will act as the concurrent fire marshal in lieu of Caranguinan.

Reports have that the fire safety inspection certificate failed to pass through Caranguinan, while the mayor's permit for the establishment was put on hold.

As this developed, Malacanang on Monday urged all local government units (LGUs) to review their implementation policy on fire safety following the tragic fire in Cagayan Valley that burned more 15 people, including nursing graduates.

“Almost always, whenever a situation like this occurs, there’s always a call for a renewed vigor to implement and inspect these fire safety measures.

I think it behooves all LGUs to look into and seriously consider reviewing their implementation policies on fire safety,” Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Monday.

“It’s a tragedy for us but I think it’s incumbent upon local government officials to do so,” he added.

Lacierda said it is a matter of strict implementation among local governments as the rules are already in place.

“I think the rules are there; it’s a yearly requirement that the Bureau of Fire Protection should go into each building and inspect the fire safety measures that they have. There is a law which requires them to abide by and comply with fire safety standards,” he said.

“It’s something that the local government in Tuguegarao, Cagayan should seriously look into,” he added.

Lacierda also said the Palace will release of the bonus be discussing with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) regarding the assistance to be given to the families.

“It’s very sad that it happened especially at this season of Christmas. We’ll be discussing it [assistance] with the DSWD,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Tuguegarao city government and law enforcement agencies are working double time to ascertain the cause of the six-hour fire that razed a five-storey hotel, motorcycle display center and a residential house in the city at dawn of Sunday, which also resulted in the loss of over P20 million worth of properties.

The in-depth investigation is being conducted by combined arson and police investigators after the tragic incident.

Health authorities revealed the fatalities were charred beyond recognition with some of them found to have embraced each other when discovered inside the toilet of their assigned rooms. Some of them were seen along the corridors of the hotel holding the bags of their companions while one was seen embracing his laptop computer.

The fatalities of the tragic incident were identified as Jerome Saet, Francis Carambas, Nelmar Galapia, Marlon Justin Viernes, Ryan James Malaki, Richard Allan Gonzales, Ronualdo Respicio, Narl Jensen Lopez and Henderson Ludivico, all nursing graduates of the University of La Salette who were supposed to take up the examinations.

On the other hand, the charred remains of the hotel owner Norman Fondevilla and his pregnant wife Amybelle, their relatives Mildred De Leon, Karyle De Leon, Josh De Leon and their housemaid Jennifer Agtarap were recovered from the run is of the hotel which was torched into ashes.

Aside from the hotel, a nearby motorcycle display center, including 30 motorcycles on display, and a residential house were also razed.

The management of the University of La Salette assured the relatives and family members of the killed nursing graduates that they would extend assistance to them.

Arson and police investigators are still scouring the crime scene to gather pieces of evidence that will help them come out with a concrete report on the real cause of the fire.

Local officials joined relatives of the victims in mourning the tragic incident, citing that the same is a wake up call to concerned agencies to intensify their inspections of buildings so that they will be compliant with to the provisions of the Fire Code of the Philippines. (with reports by Madel Sabater and Dexter See)