The Angeles City Government has created a multi-agency fact-finding committee to conduct a full and impartial investigation into the collapse of an under-construction building in Barangay Balibago. Authorities are moving to determine accountability for the tragedy that claimed several lives.
Executive Order Establishes Committee
Mayor Carmelo “Jon” Lazatin II announced the issuance of an executive order establishing the committee, which has been tasked to identify the causes of the May 24 tragedy. The fact-finding committee will be chaired by the City Administrator, with the City Legal Officer serving as vice chairperson.
Committee Membership
The group's members include representatives from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DENR-MGB), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers, Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines, United Architects of the Philippines, Angeles City Police Office, and members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
Scope of Investigation
The committee has been directed to review permits, building plans, inspection reports, and other project-related documents. The probe team will also conduct site inspections, technical assessments, witness interviews, and evidence gathering as part of what city officials described as a transparent and comprehensive investigation.
Lazatin stressed that no one would be exempted from scrutiny. “Whoever is involved in this tragedy, all of them will be held accountable. I will make sure the truth comes out,” Lazatin said.
Preventive Suspension of Officials
As part of the ongoing investigation, two officials from the Office of the City Building Official (OCBO) were placed under 60-day preventive suspension. The suspended officials are Architect Normand Lagman, City Building Officer; and Engineer Marlon Lingat, City Structural Engineer.
Lawyer Darwin Reyes, legal adviser of the local government fact-finding committee, said that based on the 2025 Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service (RACCS), a government employee may be suspended while an investigation, in connection with grave misconduct or gross neglect of duty, is being conducted. The preventive suspension will take effect from June 1 and may remain in force for up to 60 days, or until July 30, 2026.
Casualties Recorded
The city government and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Central Luzon have recorded seven fatalities as of Sunday morning following the building collapse. The fact-finding committee is expected to release its findings and recommendations after the investigation is completed.
