Frasco: BFP report on cause of truck fire defies facts, logic

CEBU, Philippines — Fifth District Rep. Vincent  “Duke”  Frasco has questioned the report of the municipal fire investigator of San Francisco town on the January 17-incident involving the burning of a truck he donated for the use in the Camotes towns, citing “glaring loopholes.”

In a statement, Frasco said he learned of the report only through the media since the Office of the Fire Marshal did not furnish him a copy of the report notwithstanding the fact that he is the owner of the subject truck.

Frasco said that a mere perusal of the truck itself would render questionable the conclusion reached by Fire 0fficer 3 Ronnie Pasaol and Senior Fire 0fficer 1 Wilfredo Literatus. In their investigation report, Pasaol and Literatus concluded that the fire was “accidental” possibly caused by “electrical ignition cause by loose connection” of the alternator’s wirings.

But Frasco pointed out that the alternator is intact, and the fuse box, which catches fire in cases of problems in electrical wirings, also remains intact. Moreover, the vehicle’s engine was off, so it was also impossible for the vehicle to catch fire due to any faulty wiring.

The truck was just parked along the barangay road when the fire was discovered past midnight. Frasco added that the supplier of the vehicle, who has been in the business for 20 years, had also personally checked the vehicle along with a trusted mechanic, and concluded that it couldn’t have been caused by the wirings as Pasaol had written in his report.

Frasco has called on Literatus to be thorough and extra careful in their investigation to prevent doubts on the results, considering that he is allegedly an immediate family member of Bakud leaders in the town. (FREEMAN)