FILE PHOTO: PCO Secretary Cheloy Garafil’s house was “totally burned” by the fire that broke out in Quezon City on Wednesday night, February 14, 2024, according to the Batasan Hills Fire Brigade OIC Sanny Pineda. (Bibo Nueva España/Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines — The residence of Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Cheloy Garafil was “totally burned” by the fire that broke out in Quezon City on Wednesday night.
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Quezon City said the blaze started on Gabriela Silang Street, New Capitol Estate 1, in Barangay Batasan at around 8:30 p.m.
The Batasan Hills Fire Brigade confirmed in a message to INQUIRER.net that the Garafil’s house was one of the four houses involved in the fire incident.
READ: Fire hits residential area, injures 1 Korean in Batasan, Quezon City
According to Batasan Hills Fire Brigade officer-in-charge (OIC) Sanny Pineda, he spoke to Garafil, who told him the incident hurt no one in her family.
“Wala namang nasaktan […] pero totally burned po (ang) bahay niya,” Pineda said.
(No one was hurt, but her house was totally burned.)
READ: Fire in Manila in 2023 mostly happened in residential areas, says PIO
Pineda, who was one of the first responders at the scene, likewise mentioned that the three other houses include the residence of the 63-year-old Korean man, who sustained third-degree burns on his right hand and multiple second to third-degree burns on different parts of his body.
He also said that the identified homeowner of Garafil’s residence was Richard Garafil, a former journalist who uses the byline Eric Garafil, who is the PCO secretary’s husband.
The BFP declared the fire extinguished by 10:44 p.m. on Wednesday.
BFP Fire Inspector Marvin Mari told INQUIRER.net that they are still investigating the cause of the blaze.
Mari said that damage due to the fire amounted to more or less P7 million.