Family flees as 2 kids tagged in San Juan fire

MANILA, Philippines - The relatives of two children – eyed as the ones responsible for a fire that left more than 2,000 families homeless in San Juan City on Christmas Day – has gone into hiding, a councilor said yesterday.

In an interview with The STAR, Councilor Warren Villa said police investigators are looking into reports that the children, aged eight and five, were playing with lit candles that set fire to the paint, lacquer and thinner stored in their house. The children’s father is a painter, he said.

“For fear of being manhandled by their neighbors, they went into hiding,” Villa said, adding that the children were brought to the province.

He agreed with earlier reports that the children cannot be charged because they are minors. The victims are still temporarily sheltered in basketball courts in San Juan.