Police: Men set fire to Catholic radio station in Mindoro Occidental

Unidentified men set fire to a radio station inside a Catholic seminary compound in Mindoro Occidental before dawn Wednesday, the regional police chief said. MIMAROPA (Mindoro Occidental & Oriental and Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) regional head Chief Superintendent Artemio Hicban said the burning of dzVT occurred three days after a fire hit the seminary's registrar office. "Three days before... may balak na sunugin ang area ng registrar office ng isang seminary. Ngayon ang radio station... (Three days before this incident, there was at least an attempt to set fire to the seminary's registrar office. The radio station is inside the seminary compound)," Hicban said in an interview on dwIZ radio. He said there was no initial report of people killed or injured in the incident. He also said there was no initial report indicating if the men who set fire to the radio station were armed. Citing initial information reaching him, he said the incident occurred at 1 a.m. at the seminary compound in San Jose town. Recovered from the area was a container of gasoline believed used in the incident. "May nakuha ang arson investigator na lata ng gas na maaring suspected ginamit sa pagsunog," he said. But Hicban refused to discuss the earlier fire in the seminary, although he would not deny the seminary or radio station may have come under threat. When asked if there was a possible attempt to set fire to the area, he said, "opo (yes)." However, when asked if the local seminary lodged a complaint with the police or sought assistance, he refused to talk. "Pwedeng off the air na lang (Can I just talk about it off the air)?" he said. The dzVT radio station is part of the Catholic Media Network. As of 7 a.m., its online channel on UStream was off-air. — LBG, GMA News