Court worker, guard dead in De Oro City fire

Firemen gather outside the Hall of Justice building in Cagayan de Oro, which was hit by a fire that lasted from Friday night to Saturday dawn. BOBBY LAGSA/INQUIRER MINDANAO

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—Two persons were killed—a court employee and a security guard—in a fire that raged at the Hall of Justice building here.

Benjamin Buna, security guard, and court aide Jeffrey Uban, were confirmed dead in the fire, which started 9:35 p.m. on Friday and was put out 2:30 a.m. on Saturday.

Shirley Teleron, city fire marshall, said the bodies of Buna and Uban had been found in the burnt debris.

The two-story Hall of Justice housed 28 courts, the city prosecutor’s office and the Misamis Oriental provincial prosecutor’s office.

Teleron said explosions from pieces of bomb and ammunition being kept as evidence in the court offices made it difficult for firemen to get into the building.

“It was too risky,” said Fire Insp. Arnold Lagbas.

One of the courts in the building is handling the murder charge against Iligan City Mayor Celso Regencia for the attack on Rep. Vicente Belmonte, which killed two of Belmonte’s bodyguards.

Another court is handling the case against accused in the Aman pyramid scam.

“This was really a fire hazard place because every time we come here, there are papers all over,” said fireman Lagbas. “These fed the blaze,” he said.

Judge Arthur Abundiente, of the Regional Trial Court Branch 25 which held office in the building, said he pitied plaintiffs and inmates who are in jail awaiting decisions on their cases.

He said the courts would have to reconstruct records before resuming hearings on cases.

“This will surely take a toll on them,” he said. Bobby Lagsa, Inquirer Mindanao