Fire breaks out at Comelec’s office at the Palacio del Gobernador

A fire broke out at the Palacio del Gobernador, the Commission on Elections office in Intramuros Manila, on Sunday evening, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said.

A report from the BFP-National Capital Region Public Information Office said the fire started on the seventh floor of the building.

The fire was raised to the first alarm at 6:53 p.m. and reached the second alarm at 7:02 p.m.

The blaze was eventually controlled at 8:05 p.m. and declared out at 8:16 p.m.

In a statement, Comelec spokesperson Rex Laudiangco said that all Comelec personnel were safe and accounted for.

He added that the fire was limited to the reception area of the poll body's Information Technology Department (ITD) on the seventh floor.

Other departments on the seventh floor as well as on other floors were safe, he said. 

"All COMELEC Servers and Vaults, located at the ITD, including all equipment and documents in all Offices and Departments at the Main Office are safe, intact, undamaged and secure," Laudiangco also said.

"As to the Election Results and Data, please note that the same are safe, secure, intact and unaffected, and remains to be on live posting, both at the COMELEC official website (www.comelec.gov.ph) and the Election Results Website (www.2022electionresults.comelec.gov.ph).

"Back-up of such is intact and safe as well, kept as well at our secured vault.

"Similarly, Voter’s Registration Data are safe, secure, intact and unaffected at another secured vault, with the back-up at a secured off-site location dedicated for the purpose."

Furthermore, all Comelec employees based at the Palacio will be on a work-from-home basis on Monday, due to the fire. — DVM/BM, GMA News