Fire eats equipment, voters list in Danao
A FIRE broke out at the Commission On Elections (Comelec) office in barangay Poblacion, Danao City, at 4 a.m. yesterday, destroying some furniture and a computer list of newly registered voters.
The fire occurred just as local poll officials were about to start the verification of signatures of the recall petition against Mayor Ramon “Boy” Durano Jr. this week.
But election officials said the data loss was temporary since the voters list had a backup file on paper and computer drives in the provincial office in Cebu City.
The fire was preceded by an explosion.
Arson is being suspected after a melted plastic gallon container was found outside the office near the window where the fire started.
The container and part of a burned wooden jalousie panel will be sent to their Manila lab for examination, said Chief Insp. Ronaldo Orbeta, Danao City fire chief.
“If we find out that there is flammable residue there, we can conclude that the fire was intentional,” Orbeta said in Cebuano.
In a separate interview, Comelec provincial supervisor Lionel Castillano said he will seek 24-hour police security for the Danao City Comelec office.
He said they can still recover files of the newly registered voters because they have backup computer drives and hard copies. He said only the list of voters for this month got lost in the fire.
The fire damaged a computer table, printer, a chair and one air-conditioning unit as well as the list of newly registered voters.
The fire would have spread if firefighters had not broken into the office and put out the flames in less than five minutes.
Niel Navarez, a resident who lived nearby, said he was awakened by an explosion inside the Comelec office t past 4 a.m. and called the fire station.
SFO1 Leopoldo Pesquera said initial investigation showed that it was caused by faulty electrical wiring.
But Danao City Councilor Jose Thadeus Roble Jr. said the window of the Comelec office where the fire came from smelled like gasoline. He said the fire was a failed arson attempt.
“We’re expecting to start the verification signatures of people who signed the recall petition against Mayor “Boy” Durano this week,” Roble said in Cebuano.
Roble said it wouldn’t matter if the Comelec office was burned because files of the signatures of people who signed the recall petition were not burned.
He said people against the petition were behind the fire.
Property damage was placed at P50,000. Orbeta said they will invite Navarez and security guards Ronaldo Abapo and Antonio Ramos for questioning. Correspondents Rhea Ruth V. Rosell and Fe Marie Dumaboc
