Party HQ blaze destroys property costing nearly 100,000 pesos

Manila Times/Sultan Kudarat

A fire burned down the Liberal Party (LP) headquarters and two small houses nearby at Barangay Bulalo on Wednesday night.

Authorities said the LP headquarters was empty when the fire broke out on Wednesday.  Authorities were investigating whether the fire was deliberately set or whether it was caused by a faulty electrical wiring connection.

The headquarters were also being used by Gov Esmael Mangudadatu of Maguindanao, who is running again for the May 13 local and national polls.

Although nobody was hurt in the incident, building owner Rossie Torres said in her complaint that she was constantly receiving threats for helping and allowing the president’s camp to rent her space as headquarters since the start of April. Senior Inspector Robert Papa, police chief of Sultan Kudarat police, said Torres had left Barangay Bulalo long ago fearing for her life, allowing LP personnel to guard her place.

Meanwhile, United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) provincial gubernatorial bet Tocao Mastura has refuted allegations on their party’s role in the fire, treating them as “fabricated stories.”

“Ask the local police and military because I have asked them for long to keep watch of the particular LP headquarters because I have long sensed something fishy,” the UNA gubernatorial candidate said.

Meanwhile, fire marshal Mujahidin Gampon of Sultan Kudarat has said the fire started around 7pm, and had  razed two other houses nearby.The houses of Solly Balila and Rose Ayos were made of light materials and immediately caught fire. Gampon said the fire had destroyed an estimated 100,000 pesos worth of properties.