MANILA, Philippines (2nd UPDATE) – At least 3 Ayala companies and a construction firm face civil and criminal charges in connection with the Serendra blast on May 31, 2013 that killed 4 people.

Found liable for the blast were the owners of Two Serendra, the contractor RM Ladrido that took care of repairs in unit 501B, Bonifacio Gas Corporation, and the Makati Development Corporation (MDC), according to Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas.

Two Serendra, BGC and MDC are owned by the Ayala group of companies.

Roxas held a press conference on Thursday, October 3, to disclose the findings of two groups that did separate probes into the blast: an interagency committee and Kroll Associates.

The blast was caused by “negligence” by these companies, Roxas said.

It is now up to the Department of Justice to file the appropriate civil and criminal charges against them, Roxas said. He clarified that the two investigative bodies were not mandated to file the charges.

The blast initially killed 3 employees of Abenson, whose parked vehicle was damaged by the explosion. Five weeks after, the occupant of Unit 501B, Angelito San Juan, also died. 

READ: Shattered dreams for Serendra victim

Roxas assured San Juan’s family then that the investigation will be “thorough and conclusive.”

On Thursday, Roxas said the LPG explosion at Unit 501B was caused by an “unauthorized movement” of a gas range during repairs. The repairs done in the unit were not part of the proposed renovation, probers said.

WATCH: Roxas: Serendra blast caused by LPG

And the unit was occupied without inspection, he added. BGC, the gas supplier of Two Serendra, installed gas leak detectors in the building failed to work.

‘Bahala na’ attitude

The results came from separate investigations by an Inter-Agency Task Force and Kroll Advisory Solutions. Roxas said the two probes came up with the same results.

Safety devices that would have prevented the gas leak failed to alert the unit occupant, said Roxas. The gas range’s gas leak detector was unplugged. The valve, which was connected to the leak detector, had a “fail-open” design, meaning when not plugged in, it remained open.

READ: Serendra revisited: Facts, more questions

Over time, LPG accumulated in the unit. A light switch triggered the explosion, said Roxas.

The explosion, added Roxas, was a result of a “bahala na” attitude of those found liable. In addition to the “unauthorized” movement of the gas range and the non-functioning safety devices, other safety protocols were also neglected. The gas valve near the unit could be accessed by any one, even those without authorization.

Gas supplier Bonifacio Gas Corporation was also found to lack technical competence in handling the odorant for the gas.

Ethyl mercaptan levels at the site were way below the odor threshold because it was lost at the vaporization stage, according to investigators. It answers the question as to why residents did not smell anything unusual the day of the blast.

In a statement, Serendra Inc said said they were “confident that government regulations and standards have been complied with in the design and operation of Serendra,” despite the results of the investigation.

Bonifacio Gas, in a separate statement, echoed Serendra Inc, promising they would comply with any changes in government standards.

One and Two Serendra management has since shut down the centralized liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) system in residential units for good. 

READ: Serendra permanently shuts off LPG system

Closure for residents

Why did it take 4 months for the results of the investigation to come out? Roxas said the Two Serendra probe was unprecedented, the first time they encountered an investigation of its kind.

“Kung barilan ‘to, we’d know what to do,” Roxas said. He did not provide a timeline of what or when charges will be filed against those found liable in the blast, adding that it was up to the justice department now.

The Department of Interior and Local Government will also cascade the results and recommendations of the findings to local government units, the Department of Trade and Industry, and the Department of Public Works and Highways for possible modifications in its rules.

With the wrap of the investigation, Roxas said the occupants of Two Serendra Tower B could return to their units.

Bobby Cabral, District Head of the Two Serendra Homeowner Association, said the investigation brought “closure,” proving once and for all that the explosion was caused by gas.

Cabral said other homeowners have yet to be briefed on the results of the investigation. He said some unit owners who were at home during the explosion were traumatized, and needed therapy. He could not say if the homeowners would file charges. 

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-Rappler.com