Bizman loses P1M worth of heavy equipment in blaze

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – Police are probing if the burning of a backhoe in a quarry in Barangay Malingin, Bago City, Negros Occidental last Saturday was intentional or was due to faulty electrical wiring.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Joem Malong, city police chief, said that a driver parked the backhoe a few meters away from a river, as he would always do every day, before going home.

Early that night, a caretaker and his helper left the site to buy food for dinner.

But when they returned, they saw that the heavy equipment was already on fire.

Based on some witnesses, they have not seen anyone coming in and out of the place before and after the incident, Malong said.

Malong said the blaze left an estimated P1 million worth of damage. The backhoe costs P5 million.

Malong said the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) is still probing the cause of the fire.

“Basi faulty electrical wiring kay wala man daw may nakita na iban na tawo sa lugar,” she added.

Malong said the backhoe owner also told the police that he has not received any threat that could be linked to the incident.