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Monday, September 29, 2003
Councilor, 4 others lose houses in Argao fire
By Rene H. Martel
CEBU -- Cebu City Councilor Vicente Kintanar Jr. and four of his neighbors lost their homes in Argao, Cebu after an alleged drug dependent set fire to the house of his live-in partner Sunday, eve of the town’s fiesta.
A woman was injured after a responding fire truck from Naga town, rammed by a Minglanilla fire truck that was closely tailing it, sideswiped her.
The accident likewise injured a fireman, rendered the Minglanilla fire truck useless, and delayed the Naga fire truck’s arrival at the scene.
The arson suspect, who fled immediately after what he did, reportedly wanted to take his 11-year-old son, but was refused by the live-in partner.
Her family also wanted them to part ways because of his alleged addiction to illegal drugs.
PO3 Arnold Abenir of Argao police identified those who lost their homes as Kintanar, Prudencia Chan Balse, Poren Bajenting, Lutgarda delos Reyes and Miguela Mamalias.
Mamalias was rushed to the hospital after suffering a stroke because of the blaze.
Quarrel
Quoting Charlotte Molgard, 32, Abenir said the fire occurred around 1 a.m. after her live-in partner Terrel John Sestoso, 22, of Barangay Looc, set afire the house of her mother Miguela.
Charlotte, who lives in Miguela’s house along with sister Alma Allego and her family, refused an interview with Sun.Star, saying she was still shaken by the incident.
Abenir, though, said that the couple quarreled around 7 p.m. because Allego wanted Sestoso to leave her sister.
That allegedly angered Sestoso, who engaged Charlotte in an argument until his father, Ruel, was forced to fetch him and bring him to Looc.
But that was after he threatened to burn down the house if Ruel would not give him P100 and Charlotte would not allow him to take their child, said a neighbor who overheard the fight.
Neighbor Junnah Teo, 31, a teacher of Argao National High School, told Sun.Star the fight started when Allego insulted Sestoso, whom she said has started to mend his ways.
“Giingnan siya nga ikaw wala gani ka kapalit gatas sa imong anak. Sige lang ka’g suyop-suyop. In fairness sad atong bataa kay bata pa man gyud to, hinay-hinay na baya to siya’g usab,” she said. (She reminded him of his failure to buy milk for their child, because he was on drugs. But in fairness to that boy, he’s been slowly trying to mend his ways.)
Collapsed
Abenir said both Sestoso and Charlotte worked in a lending firm owned by the suspect’s parents in Cebu City.
They arrived in Argao Friday night to prepare for Monday’s fiesta in honor of St. Michael the Archangel.
After he and his father left, Sestoso allegedly returned around 1 a.m. and found the house locked from the inside, with his wife and Allego refusing to let him in.
Abenir said Sestoso kicked open the door and allegedly took a knife from the kitchen, forcing Allego to bring the 11-month-old child to an aunt blocks away.
Charlotte told Abenir that Sestoso then asked her to get inside their room on the second floor of the house, but she refused.
That was when she saw him setting fire to the electrical wires on the ceiling, using a lighter.
Charlotte rushed out to ask for help from authorities and collapsed at the police station.
Another neighbor, Gaudioso Cabonero, 25, said he saw a shirtless Sestoso leave the house with a pair of pants tucked under his armpit and drive away with his motorcycle when the flames grew larger.
Truck stalled
Since the town’s fire truck could not respond because of mechanical failure, the police sought the help of other towns.
But the responding fire trucks of Minglanilla and Naga towns figured in an accident in Barangay Guiwanon, Argao while on the way to the fire scene.
Insp. Eduardo Lauron, Naga municipal fire marshal, said his men received the alarm around 1:15 a.m. and rushed to the place, followed by the truck of nearby Minglanilla fire station.
A woman, however, crossed the highway and then hesitated when they reached Guiwanon.
She got sideswiped by the fire truck driven by FO2 Rey Herediano, who immediately stepped on the brakes.
The sudden move caught FO1 Hermes Molina off guard, causing the Minglanilla fire truck he drove to rear-end the other truck.
Aside from the injured woman, Molina suffered contusions to both feet and got trapped by the wrecked front of the truck.
Insp. Joel Abarquez, Minglanilla municipal fire marshal, admitted the distance between the two trucks was just 10 to 15 meters.
As of Sunday night, Bureau of Fire Protection officials had yet to come up with an estimate of the destruction caused by the blaze.
The police also had yet to arrest Sestoso, whom they believe has gone into hiding in Cebu City. Sun.Star Cebu
(September 29, 2003 issue)
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