• RICHARD T. CABALLERO JR.
A person who has been linked to the cause of the residential fire in Barangay 27, Bacolod City, was nabbed for drugs at Purok Ipil-Ipil in Barangay 30 on Sunday.
Arrested was Fritz Erespe, 49, a resident of Brgy 30, who was tagged as a street-level individual by the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (BADAC). The police recovered from his possession 2 grams of suspected shabu with the prevailing standard drug price of P13,600.
The rented house of Erespe, where he stays with his live-in partner, was reported to be where the fire first emanated from, due to faulty wiring, according to the Bureau of Fire of Bacolod City.
Erespe has denied the allegations linking him to the fire, citing the investigation of the BFP, which revealed that the cause of the fire was due to electrical ignition and tapping.
He had also expressed his fear regarding the accusations of his neighbors, stating, “I am afraid to go to the evacuation center to get some benefits because of the threat that my neighbors are expressing towards me.”
On the other hand, Bacolod City Police Office Station 4 commander PCapt. Rosalino Pugoy said that all the statements and allegations of the displaced persons in the barangay were pointing to the suspect as the cause of the fire.
“It is natural that he will deny it, but the allegations are pointing to him,” he said, urging the residents of Barangay 27 to coordinate with the BFP if they want to file a complaint against Erespe.
“It is still up to the investigation of the BFP. If the residents can file a case against him, they can go here,” he added.
Moreover, Pugoy stressed that the suspect was under the monitoring of the police after he was tagged as a drug dealer.
The suspect will face criminal charges in violation of Sections 5 and 11 of RA 9165, or the Dangerous Drugs Act. He is now under the custody of the police for proper legal disposition.*
