A fisherman’s organizations on Monday said the fire which rendered hundreds of coastal families homeless during the onslaught of Typhoon Rolly on Monday in Bacoor, Cavite, is “highly suspicious” at the least.
“We don’t buy the usual fire accident narrative anymore because it has been established that setting a community on fire is the easiest, most acceptable, and effective way to demolish an entire community to pave way for projects for development aggression,” Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas’s (Pamalakaya) spokesman for Southern Tagalog Ronnel Arambulo, said.
Arambulo raised the suspicion that the fire that hit the area was “intentional.”
Around 400 fisherfolk and urban families, he said, were left homeless after the fire broke out in the middle of the ravaging Typhoon Rolly.
Bacoor LGU report
IN its Facebook Page, the Bacoor local government unit (LGU) reported that the fire broke out at exactly 10:12 p.m. at a house in Barangay Alima. It quickly spread and affected nearby Barangay Sineguelasan.
A total of 402 families—337 from Barangay Alima and 65 from Barangay Sineguelasan—were rendered homeless.
The fire was extinguished at exactly 1:28 a.m. on November 2.
Fire investigators are still determining the cause of the fire. Meanwhile, those affected were relocated at the Bacoor Elementary School, Alima Elementary School, Jesus is Lord Church, and Alima SHS.
In a news statement, Pamalakaya “highly believes” that the fire was “deliberate” to pave the way for a massive land-reclamation project affecting eight coastal barangays in Bacoor, known for its oyster industry and the birthplace of mussel, or tahong farming, in the Philippines.
Not the first time
Arambulo said fire hitting coastal communities targeted for relocation to pave the way for development projects happened before.
In April 2017, Barangay Maliksi III was hit by a blaze, affecting 476 families; it was followed by a fire that broke out in Barangay Tabing Dagat on the morning of January 24, 2018.
The same incidents happened in Barangays Maliksi I and Maliksi III on June 20, 2018, and a fire in Barangay Talaba II in February last year that left more than 200 families homeless.
Pamalakaya-Southern Tagalog said that the fire-ravaged communities are areas to be affected by reclamation projects being pursued by the local government unit of Bacoor under actress-turned politician Mayor Lani Mercado-Revilla.
Given the circumstantial precedents, the fisherman’s group said, there is a “high probability” that the fire was not by accident, but rather “intentional.”
The group vowed to conduct its own investigation to unmask the people behind the suspicious fire.
Families affected by the recent fire in Bacoor City will receive financial support of P10,000 per family from the local government unit of Bacoor, Mayor Mercado-Revilla, wife of Senator Bong Revilla, said on Tuesday.
In a news statement released through the Public Information Office of Bacoor, Mercado-Revilla said the Bureau of Fire Protection-Bacoor Fire Station is still conducting a thorough investigation to determine what caused the fire.
She also belied the allegations, or speculations, of foul play, or arson, saying investigation is still ongoing.
Appeal to Cavite governor
For his part, Pamalakaya National chairman Fernando Hicap appealed to Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla to secure the affected residents and ensure that they would be able to return to their communities.
“The victims of the fire should not be relocated. This is apparently a tactic of the local government to fast track the forced relocation of fishermen who will be affected by the reclamation project. We appeal to Governor Remulla to make sure that they be allowed to return to their communities and livelihood,” Hicap, a former Anakpawis Party-list lawmaker said.
The group will conduct a relief drive to gather livelihood support and aid for the affected fishing families of both the fire and successive typhoons.
Image credits: Nonie Reyes
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