Quiot fire leaves more than 100 individuals homeless

CEBU, Philippines — Huge flames engulfed several houses in Barangay Quiot, Cebu City yesterday noon, leaving more than a hundred individuals homeless, local authorities reported.

Cebu City Fire Station’s (CCFS) probe team noted at least 13 residential structures were destroyed, while there were six that got damaged.

The CCFS estimated the damage at P120,000. No injuries or fatalities were reported.

In its report, the CCFS noted that an electrical ignition, due to short circuit, caused the fire.

Witnesses said they smelt a burnt electrical wire from the house owned by Almie Arabis Carao before the fire developed and spread to the neighboring structures.

Arlindo Murillo and Pinpin Alpar reportedly occupy of the structure where the fire originated. Residents alleged that no one was inside the house, since both were at work, investigators cited.

The fire started at 11:51 a.m. and was placed under control 30 minutes after. The firefighters declared a fire out at 2:11 p.m.

Quiot Barangay Captain Pancrasio Esparis, in a phone interview with The FREEMAN, said fire responders from the barangay and some residents also helped out in extinguishing the fire and preventing it from spreading.

He said the flames engulfed houses sitting in sitios Sunshine and Santo Niño.

He added that the individuals affected by yesterday’s incident reached to 110, based on the initial evaluation done by the Cebu City government’s Department of Social Welfare and Services.

Esparis said the families affected were advised to temporarily stay at the barangay's sports complex, where the lighting system and some portalets were made available.

But some opted to build makeshift tents beside their charred houses, he added.

Esparis said he was planning to hold an emergency caucus with the barangay’s council members and disaster control unit to discuss the matter, eyeing at declaring a state of calamity.

Meanwhile, despite the question whether quorum was reached, the Cebu City Council approved the purchase of firefighting and various police equipment amounting to P6.7 million.

The equipment to be purchased are two units of fire pumps that will be installed to water tankers (P2 million), communication equipment (repeater system) (P275,000), equipment for Cebu City Police Office/Special Weapon and Tactics like ballistic vests, ballistic helmets (P3.7 million), and UHF portable radios (P780,000).

“Emergency responders are sometimes under incredible stress to perform their work at the highest caliber due to poor equipment and supplies. A police and fire tool may mean the difference between saving someone's life and terrible accident,” reads part of Councilor David Tumulak’s resolution.

The P6.7 million will be charged against the city’s share of Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) funds.

“The office of the Peace and Order Program had requested for the mayor's approval and authority to purchase firefighting and various police equipment amounting to P6,755,000 chargeable against PAGCOR funds,” Tumulak said, adding that the mayor already approved the procurement.

City Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera said she has yet to check if the resolution was referred and approved by the PAGCOR’s ad hoc committee.

The resolution was approved on October 3 when the eight city councilors allied with Barug Team Rama boycotted the regular session to protest the plan to remove Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) President Phillip Zafra from the Council.

The session was attended by eight members of Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan and Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella, who is the presiding officer.

The BOPK-allied councilors insisted to proceed with the transaction as the council reached quorum with nine members, including Labella.

But, Councilor Jose Daluz III said Team Rama is still discussing the merits on questioning the quorum requirement.

“I am not concerned about (the) PAGCOR reso. My concern is the CDC (Cebu Development Council) resolution about (the) Inayawan landfill and the resolution about the disaster,” Daluz said.

He said members of Team Rama will still meet and discuss their measures on the quorum requirement.

Also on October 3, officials of the Department of the Interior and Local Government-Cebu City implemented the order of the Office of the Ombudsman dismissing City Councilor James Anthony Cuenco from public service.

Cuenco already asked the anti-graft office to reverse its decision, saying he has nothing to do with the implementation of the medical health program of his father, former Congressman Antonio Cuenco. —  /GAN (FREEMAN)