Maguindanao: Fire guts LP headquarters

Karlos Manlupig, Ferdinandh Cabrera

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The owner of the property leased by the ruling party has been in hiding after receiving threats from an armed group

FIGHTING FIRE. Firemen attempt to put out a blaze in the Maguindanao HQ of the Liberal Party.

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines – A fire of still unknown origin gutted the municipal headquarters of the ruling Liberal Party in Barangay Bulalo in Sultan Kudarat on Wednesday evening, May 1.

The fire, which occurred around 7pm, also gutted another house near the property. The Bureau of Fire Protection in the town is conducting an investigation.

A certain Ressie Torres owns the house rented by the Liberal Party. Several days ago, Torres already went into hiding because of threats.

Torres told Rappler in an interview last Saturday, April 27, that it all started when she leased her property to a friend who, without her consent, allowed the Liberal Party to use it as their headquarters.

The property was leased for P100,000 last January, she said.

Torres narrated that a group of men harassed her to remove the campaign materials of re-electionist Maguindanao Gov and LP bet Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu in her leased property.  Mangudadatu is running against Tucao Mastura of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA). (Read: Mastura thinks he’ll beat Mangudadatu

“Why would they force me to remove it when the one who is responsible (for) putting up those posters is (the) lessee?” Torres said.

She said the armed men also asked her to get her property back immediately from the lessee. 

“But I already used at least P70,000 of the amount,” Torres said.

Decision to hide

On April 23, she asked for the help of the military after her friends and neighbors told her not to leave her home because the same armed men were planning to get her and burn her property down.

“They were threatening to burn my house down. I was so afraid not just for me but also for my family,” Torres said.

Torres said she decided to leave the area and hide because she knows that the threat is real. “Supporters of this group are always armed. Many people were already shot and killed without the culprits facing justice. I am so fortunate that I was able to escape,” Torres said.

Her property, Torres said, was also burned because of local politics in July 2001. 

Maguindanao is an election hot spot.

In November 2009, it was the site of the worst election violence in recent history when 58 media workers and other civilians, including Mangudadatu’s wife, were shot dead allegedly upon the orders of the Ampatuan clan. Mangudadatu won the gubernatorial race in the May 2010 elections that followed. Members of the Ampatuan clan are jailed and facing murder charges

The activity of fire responders caused heavy traffic in Quirino Bridge, which connects Cotabato City and Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao. Police and Army personnel immediately arrived in the area to provide security and direct traffic.

Last month, a fire hit the house of a member of Mangudadatu’s party in Barangay Simuay. The candidate is running for councilor in the town of Sultan Mastura. – Rappler.com

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