Arson eyed in Pit-os fire

CEBU, Philippines - Properties worth P300,000 were lost in a morning fire that gutted two houses and damaged another two yesterday in sitio Camunay I, barangay Pit-os, this city, believed to be a handiwork of a woman who got mad at her husband after the latter confessed to her that he impregnated another girl.

FO3 Antonio Gonzales of the Cebu City Fire Department said that the fire, which was raised to first alarm, started past 8 a.m. yesterday and was controlled minutes later after firefighters rushed to the scene.

The fire razed the house and the lodging house owned by couple Rodolfo and Merlyn Doños, while one Jun Ibardo and a certain Eddie Tubod owned the other two houses damaged by the fire as these were adjacent to the residence of the couple.

Gonzales believes that the incident was a case of arson carried out by Merlyn, 53, while her husband was away for work.

According to his investigation, Rodolfo, 55, a taxicab driver and his wife Merlyn were overheard arguing the previous night after Rodolfo reportedly confessed to her that he bore a 17-year-old girl a child and that the girl actually delivered the baby just last week.

Jeanette Mauring, wife of one of the two lodgers occupying the second and last floor, alleged that at around 7 a.m. yesterday, she heard of an explosion. She then checked as to where the sound could have come from. She said she peeped through the window of the couple’s house and saw the television set on the floor apparently thrown away by Merlyn.

Merlyn allegedly even said she would destroy all their appliances and burn down her and Rodolfo’s clothes, and shooed her away from the window.

Around 8 a.m., a certain Dodoy allegedly saw Merlyn bought kerosene from a nearby store.

Mauring alleged that few minutes before the fire, Merlyn told her, “Ayaw na mo katingala ha nga nag-aso.”

Moments later, residents already saw the house on blaze originating from the room of the couple, beside the lodging house, and that Merlyn was already nowhere to be found.

Pit-os barangay captain Nilo Tariman said he will issue copies of subpoena for the Doños couple as well as for Ibardo and Tubod.

The couple had two children who are both already married. — Niña G. Sumacot/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)