Man sent to BBRC for alleged arson

After burning his own house in barangay Guadalupe last Friday, a 51-year old alleged drug dependent was brought to the Bagong Buhay Rehabilitation Center after his wife and daughter filed a case for arson before the court yesterday. The personnel of the Bureau of Fire Protection escorted Alexander Olavides to the city jail yesterday after the court issued a commitment order for him to be detained at the BBRC pending the resolution of his case. Olavides's 52-year-old wife, Wenona, and his 29-year-old daughter, Alona, Sarigumba, executed a joint affidavit stating that Olavides set their house on fire on the afternoon of June 24. Wilweville Pacatang, of legal age, married, and sister-in-law of the accused, said she was greatly affected because the fire also razed her house. She accused Olavides as a drug user and oftentimes had a quarrel with her family. Sarigumba said her father tried to burn their house every time he had a quarrel with her mother. She said when she was still a child, her father started a fire inside their house. "He burned our cassette radio. When I was 10 years old, I remembered that my father poured kerosene on our house and lighted a candle, but his intention of burning our house was foiled during the timely arrival of our neighbors," Sarigumba said. Olavides's daughter said when she was already 17 years old, her father also burned his clothes in front of their house. Sarigumba narrated that before their house was burned, she went to their house and was met by her father who told her. "Unsay imong tuyo? Sumbagon ta mong tanan ug sunogon ko kining balay." (What do you want? I will punch all of you and I will burn this house). After hearing the statements of her father, Sarigumba quickly left the house and told her husband about the threat. Her mother was not home either because she was out to fetch her grandchildren from the school when the fire erupted. "My father is a habitual drunkard. Every time he gets drunk, he always provokes and threatens to kill all of us or burn our house," Sarigumba said.