Fire near Palace traced to drug user’s house

Some of the residents affected by Wednesday’s fire await assistance outside San Miguel Church near Malacañang. —GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

The predawn fire that destroyed about 200 houses near Malacañang on Wednesday started at the home of one of the “drug personalities” residing in the area, according to authorities.

“The fire was reportedly due to a candle left unattended in a house that did not have electricity. We are checking reports that the candle was used in a ‘shabu’ session,” said the Manila Police District director, Chief Supt. Joel Coronel.

The fire affected about 500 families or 2,500 individuals in Barangay 645 in Manila’s San Miguel District, a stone’s throw away from the Palace.

According to the barangay chair, Jerry Bolante, it started in the house of Oying Degala, one of the 30 suspected drug users and pushers on the local watch list.

Bolante said village officials had since been looking for Degala, who was last seen jumping out of his house. They have  yet to locate him as of Wednesday afternoon.

“We’ve been monitoring him because he’s on the drug list. A witness said (Degala) jumped from the third floor of their shanty and disturbed those who were renting space on the second floor,” Bolante said.

“They’re very angry at him because he did not warn them that there was a fire,” he said. “They said it was as if he wanted them to be burned to death.”

Bolante said the fire began around 3:30 a.m. at Degala’s shanty on Sikat Street before spreading to other houses. The fire was declared out after about five hours.

Degala, whom the village chief described as a “user or runner,” was known to stay either in San Miguel or in Dasmarinas, Cavite. “Whenever he had a case in Dasmarinas, he would stay here to cool off,” he said.

Bolante said the barangay’s drug watch list included 30  persons, 20 of whom had surrendered to the government under “Oplan Tokhang,” the antidrug campaign launched by the Duterte administration last year. The 10 who have yet to surrender are considered “new players,” he added.

Bolante said many of those affected by the fire moved to the San Miguel parish church compound while others stayed along Malacañang’s perimeter wall  on Jose Laurel Street.

“We don’t have a covered basketball court here (to use as an evacuation center) so we are going to ask for help from the President,” he said.

President Rodrigo Duterte last night visited the fire victims at San Miguel church and handed out food packs and P5,000 in cash per family.

“I wish I could give you Malacañang,” Mr. Duterte told them.

Magdalena Depositar, 64, said she and her three children and three grandchildren were asleep when her son woke them up as flames started to engulf their neighborhood.

“There was a wake outside and we thought the gamblers there were just having a fight,” said Depositar, who has been in a wheelchair since undergoing a leg surgery two weeks ago.

She said her children and grandchildren were able to save only a few clothes and other belongings.