MANILA, Philippines -- Officials of Ayala Land Inc. can still be sued by those who lost relatives and those who were injured in last year’s explosion at the Glorietta 2 mall, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez said on Thursday.

Gonzalez said in an interview that officials of ALI, which operates the Makati City mall, can be sued for damages despite having been cleared by a Department of Justice panel of any criminal liability for the October 19 explosion.

The DoJ has ordered the filing of a criminal case for reckless imprudence resulting to multiple homicide and multiple physical injuries against eight persons for the explosion, which authorities concluded was caused by a buildup of combustible gases in the mall’s basement and not by a bomb.

"Criminal liability is very different from civil liability," Gonzalez said.

However, Gonzalez explained that filing a civil case against the ALI officials would depend on the aggrieved parties and not the government.