Interior Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla
The chief of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said rescue teams have not given up hope of finding survivors inside the collapsed building in Angeles City, stressing that operations remain focused on saving lives.
DILG Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla made the statement Wednesday after visiting ground zero, where responders continued clearing debris from the collapsed structure.
“It’s still a search and rescue operation. We haven’t lost hope that there is still life inside,” he told reporters.
He said rescuers were still treating the operation as a race to find possible survivors, citing past cases where people were pulled out alive days, or even weeks, after being trapped in collapsed buildings.
“For me, I would rather consider it a search and rescue up to now,” he said. “We have not given up hope that people inside the structure are still alive.”
He acknowledged, however, that retrieval efforts are also part of the ongoing response as teams work through the wreckage.
“It is still possible for them to be alive, so we’re still on search and rescue. But retrieval is part of the operation,” he added.
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Central Luzon, which is leading the efforts, described the operation as a continuing search, rescue, and retrieval mission.
In a social media post, the BFP said teams were working continuously to clear debris while carrying out systematic efforts to locate and recover possible victims.
“Teams continuously work to clear debris while conducting systematic operations in the ongoing effort to locate and retrieve possible victims,” the bureau said.