MANILA, Philippines — As search and rescue teams continue a desperate race against time in Pampanga, the national police force is stepping in to secure accountability for the disaster. The Philippine National Police (PNP) has officially committed to assisting local authorities in a full-scale criminal and structural investigation into the catastrophic collapse of a nine-story building under construction in Angeles City.
While the primary focus remains entirely centered on digging through the volatile ruins for survivors, top police leadership has ordered a comprehensive preservation of evidence at the scene.
PNP Chief General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. clarified that while police forces are already laying down the groundwork for a structural probe, field personnel are currently prioritizing human life over administrative paperwork:
[Under-Construction 9-Story Building Collapses] ──► Triggers Immediate Multi-Agency Emergency Response │ ▼ (The Immediate Command Order)[PNP Deployment Priority: Active Ground Operations] ◄── Focuses on Tracking 30 to 40 Unaccounted Workers │ ▼ [Transition to Joint Structural Investigation]
“Every second matters in a crisis, and our duty is to act without delay, bringing every available asset to save lives, account for the missing, and support affected families on the ground,” Gen. Nartatez said in a statement. He confirmed that local police tracker teams and forensic investigators are cooperating directly with the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and civil defense units to manage the disaster grid safely.
To buffer the ongoing trauma of the affected construction workers and their families, the PNP has deployed specialized support units directly outside the high-risk perimeter in Barangay Balibago:
[ BALIBAGO COMMMAND PERIMETER ]
│
┌────────────────────────────────┴────────────────────────────────┐
▼ ▼
[ FIRST AID & WELFARE DESKS ] [ COMPREHENSIVE SECURITY LOCKDOWN ]
• Local police have established dedicated field tents to provide • Specialized tactical units have cordoned off Teodoro Street
immediate medical triage and professional psychosocial support. to prevent looting and protect evidence.
• Acts as a central communication hub for families awaiting • Keeps heavy civilian foot traffic away from the unstable,
manifest verification lists. vibration-sensitive wreckage site.
The disaster—which struck around 2:00 AM on Sunday, May 24, and has already claimed the lives of at least two individuals, including a 65-year-old Malaysian national—is shaping up to be a major legal battle for the project’s contractors and developers.
| Investigation Focus Area | Core Regulatory Oversight & Target Targets |
| Criminal Negligence Inquiries | PNP regional investigators are prepping a review of the construction project’s blueprints, soil testing results, and structural load compliance records to determine if criminal charges for reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide are warranted. |
| Permit & Engineering Audit | Police will assist the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in verifying reports regarding alleged unauthorized modifications, including a planned 10th-floor swimming pool installation that may have overstressed the lower columns. |
The project’s foreman initially estimated that between 30 to 40 workers were inside the structure when the concrete columns buckled. With 26 survivors successfully extracted so far, rescue teams are utilizing specialized thermal imagery and canine tracking assets to locate the remaining missing locators buried beneath the shifting layers of mangled steel and pulverized concrete.
Once the extraction phase concludes, the PNP has promised a swift, completely transparent inquiry—vowing to hold every responsible engineering firm, inspector, and corporate developer accountable under the full force of the law.