Conflicting statements on origin of fire

CEBU, Philippines – The city fire department is currently evaluating the affidavits of residents of Barangay T. Padilla who said the massive fire that left 3,300 people homeless originated from the house of a City Hall employee.

Senior Fire Officer 3 Roylin Maratas said the affidavits were issued by Merla Lavides and Romulo Bernal.

In her affidavit, Lavides said one of the boarders of the City Hall employee, Rosemarie Rizol, who occupied the third floor of her house allegedly used rubber to fuel the fire for cooking, which triggered the blaze. Bernal also reportedly saw the fire originating from Rizol's house.

Maratas told The FREEMAN he himself strongly believes that the fire was triggered by electrical overload or an unattended appliance.

In a separate affidavit, Rizol denied that she was renting her house, saying it was only her and her children who lived there. She was also not around when the fire broke out.

She said the fire started from the electrical wires from the nearby electrical post owned by the Visayan Electric Company (VECO) near their terrace.

She alleged that her late husband, SPO3 Bartolome Rizol, had complained of the wires to VECO sometime last year for fear they might trigger a fire, but complaint was reportedly left unheeded.

Maratas said Rizol was operating an internet café at the ground floor of her house with eight computer units. The electrical connection thereat might have also over-loaded and caused the fire.

The fire in Barangay T. Padilla last August 9 was so massive it gutted down 430 houses, eventually leaving 786 families or 3,346 individuals homeless. (FREEMAN)