Fire razes Customs office in Subic port; arson eyed

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — Probers have gathered strong evidence and testimonies of witnesses showing that the fire that razed the Bureau of Customs office here before dawn yesterday, was a case of arson.

Amado Cruz, deputy for administration of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), said investigation showed that unidentified men entered the building of the former Merchandise Control Office through the backdoor, poured gallons of gasoline along the hallway of the Customs office at the second floor and set it on fire using flare sticks.

Cruz said witnesses heard gunshots as the unidentified men fled aboard a getaway vehicle.

The SBMA has sought the assistance of National Bureau of Investigation director Reynaldo Wycoco to look into the incident.

The processing of imported used vehicles is expected to be paralyzed since no documents had been saved from the Customs office.

"The target of the arsonists was to burn down the Customs office and investigators are zeroing on this angle to know the real motive," Cruz said.

SBMA firefighters were able to prevent the blaze from spreading to the ground floor, saving the Landbank branch here, the office of the SBMA Pass Processing and Control department and other offices of the Freeport Service Corp.

Paquito Torres, officer-in-charge of the SBMA’s intelligence and investigation office, said they have sealed off the area until the arrival of NBI investigators to preserve the evidence.