Serendra blast was fault of owner

Here’s a lesson for those having their condo units remodeled: Watch your contractors like a hawk and don’t let them move your things around without your knowledge. The findings of an interagency task force probing the blast at Two Serendra in May pins the blame on the unit owner and two firms owned by Ayala Corp. Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, who led the investigation as tasked by President Aquino, said they discovered that workers contracted by Marianne Cayton-Castillo moved her gas range from its original position without seeking approval from the building office. The gas leak detector and the automatic shutoff valve, which could have caught the leak early on, did not function accordingly, Roxas said. The Ayala-led firms that would be held liable are the Makati Development Corp. and Bonifacio Gas Corp. MM

[Philippine Daily Inquirer]