CEBU, Philippines - A woman said she now regrets leaving her five children behind while she went to an Internet café last Thursday night, after three of them were killed when a fire razed their house in St. Martin Village, barangay Banilad, Mandaue City.
Eileen Punzal, 28, was at an Internet café when the fire struck around 9:25 p.m. last Thursday.
Her children Mark, six years old; Joey, four years old; and Gideon, two years old, were killed.
Their grandmother Wilmina Punzal, 52, was able to escape but sustained burns in different parts of her body.
According to FO3 Cipriano Codilla it was Wilmina who saw the fire and hurriedly left their house bringing Eileen’s three-year-old son James.
She tried to save the three other children but it was already too late.
Wilmina, James and his eight-year-old sibling who was not identified were then taken by an ambulance to the Mandaue City Hospital.
The charred remains of Mark and Joey were found holding each other in their room while Gideon’s body was found near the door.
Investigators surmise the boy was still able to escape the room but was still trapped by the fire.
Codilla also said that although the cause of fire is still under investigation they suspect it was caused by a kerosene lamp.
A helper working in an adjacent house said that since she arrived last March to work there she noticed the Punzal family did not have electricity because they could no longer pay their power bills. Other neighbors said the Punzals have not had power for about two years now and kerosene lamps are their only source of light.
Eileen has long been separated from her husband.
Damaged to property was pegged at P70,000.
Meanwhile, Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes said that financial assistance will also be given to the affected family. He tasked the City Social Welfare Services to determine their needs.
Cortes also said that he also learned from Banilad barangay captain Glenn Bercede that the Punzal family does not actually own the house they live in, it was only left under their care by the real owner.
The remains of the victims were brought to the St. Francis Funeral homes in Mandaue City, but according to the staff of the said funeral parlor none of the family members have appeared to claim their remains. — Flor Z. Perolina/BRP (FREEMAN NEWS)