17-6-2024 (MANILA) Authorities have apprehended a school janitor on Saturday, June 15, suspected of setting fire to a school in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, after losing his job.
According to police reports, a complaint is being prepared against 58-year-old Rico Cabales, a resident of San Julio Subdivision in Barangay 2, San Carlos City. Investigations have revealed that Cabales was the alleged perpetrator behind the June 14 fire, which rapidly spread to two nearby houses, displacing Mayor Renato Gustilo and his family.
Cabales has been taken into custody at the San Carlos City Police Office, and authorities plan to file an arson complaint against him at the city prosecutor’s office on Tuesday, June 18, immediately following the Eid al-Adha holiday, as confirmed by Police Chief Master Sergeant Elmer Fajardo.
Fire Officer 3 Joseph Earl Solibio stated that the blaze began past 3 pm on Friday and raged until 6:12 pm.
According to police reports, Cabales, known for his binge-drinking habits, was arrested the following morning after CCTV footage implicated him in setting fire to Daisy’s ABC School on Ylagan Street.
Cabales allegedly confessed to the arson, fueled by anger over the school principal’s decision to terminate his employment, effective the previous Saturday. He had worked at the school for only four months.
Investigators revealed that Cabales admitted to being intoxicated when he used a lit cigarette and a gallon of gasoline to ignite the fire.
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) reported that the fire spread rapidly due to windy conditions, ultimately destroying two ancestral homes owned by the family of San Carlos Mayor Gustilo.
Gustilo, who was in Manila at the time of the incident, informed Rappler on Sunday, June 16, that his family managed to escape unharmed but lost all their possessions in the blaze.
“We lost everything – two ancestral houses. We lost antiques, precious furniture, and other valuables worth several millions of pesos,” he lamented.
However, Gustilo expressed gratitude that his wife, 31-year-old daughter, and household staff survived the fire unscathed, stating, “I really thank the Lord for saving my family.”
The mayor revealed that he and his family are currently residing at his sister’s house in San Carlos City.
While Gustilo hinted at the possibility of his family filing a complaint against Cabales, he stated that he is leaving legal matters to his lawyers.
Gustilo has yet to personally meet Cabales, who has reportedly been pleading for forgiveness from the school and the mayor for his alleged actions.
