Street sweeper foils arson attempt in Zamboanga market

ZAMBOANGA CITY – A street sweeper foiled an attempt by a suspected arsonist to burn a public market in Zamboanga City in southern Philippines, police said Wednesday.

Police said the unidentified suspect has fled after Roman Francisco, who works in the market, spotted and chased the masked man who tried to pour gasoline on a store in the market’s Row E on Monday evening.

Francisco recovered a plastic gallon containing the gasoline left behind by the suspect and reported the matter to the market security guard Rudy Gustillo, who immediately phoned the police about the foiled arson.

“Further investigation revealed that based on the statement of Roman Francisco, while he was doing his normal duty at the said market, apparently, he saw one male person carrying one small gallon and was actually pouring the content of it on the mentioned store. Roman shouted and chased the male person who immediately ran,” said Chief Inspector Rogelio Alabata, the regional police spokesman.

He said the police were investigating the arson attempt.

Last October 31, a huge fire hit the market site in downtown Zamboanga and killed 15 people and seriously injured 5. The blaze burned a huge part of the market. Most of the victims owned stalls in in the market, but were illegally sleeping there.

Mayor Beng Climaco ordered a thorough investigation into the tragedy that left P8 million in properties up in smoke. She said an initial report pointed to a stall owned by Mannan as the origin of the fire which quickly spread throughout the block in a busy area called Magay. (Mindanao Examiner)

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