Fortun: No statement from San Juan on Serendra blast before he died

MANILA, Philippines - Angelito San Juan, the tenant of unit 501-B of Two Serendra which was hit by a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) explosion last May 31, died on Thursday without any statement that could help probers piece together the sequence of events leading to the blast.

San Juan, 63, died at the intensive care unit of the St. Luke's Medical Center (SLMC) at the Bonifacio Global City at 12:20 a.m.

Raymond Fortun, lawyer of Mariane Cayton who owns the condominium unit, said San Juan was never sufficiently lucid to answer questions and give any statement since he was rushed to the intensive care unit of the SLMC shortly after the blast. San Juan suffered from second degree burns on 85 percent of his body.

"At no time po naging sufficiently lucid po sya o gising para makakuha po ng magandang salita from him," said Fortun in an interview.

San Juan is a close friend of the Cayton family. Cayton allowed San Juan to use the unit from May 31 to June 8 when he was supposed to attend a wedding.

Fortun said San Juan last spoke to Herminia Ochoa, aunt of Mariane, and told her that he was going out of the unit some five minutes after the condo unit was hit by the blast.

He said San Juan, a software architect for a car manufacturer in California, said that before the blast, he was holding on to the doorknob and felt as if he was being electrocuted.

"Ang talagang last po na report tungkol dito doon sa pangyayari ay 'yun pong kanyang naisiwalat kay Herminia Ochoa nun pong mga five or 10 minutes after the blast at sinabi niya po is palabas po siya nung unit. Hawak lang niya yung doorknob and bigla po nagkaroon ng pagsabog at naramdaman niya na parang nakukuryente siya," Fortun said.

Fortun said San Juan's supposedly normal movement inside the condo unit - such as walking on the carpeted floor which could produce static electricy, to rotating the doorknob or even turning off the light switch - could have triggered the blast.

Fortun added that there is enough evidence at the blast site to piece together the sequence of events leading to the blast.

"Pwedeng enough na ho na trigger 'yun para sumabog or 'yung pagbukas po nung pinto or kagaya nung napag usapan namin ni colonel (Senior Supt. Fennimore Jaudian, head of the Inter-Agency Arson Task Force) about two days ago as simple as static electricity. 'Yung napadaan lang po 'yung paa doon sa carpet would be more than sufficient po para magkaroon ho ng putok. So sa akin po hindi na masyadong ganun kamaterial talaga 'yung statement ni Angelito San Juan other than just to complete 'yung puzzle," he said.

"Well sa tingin ko po there is more than sufficient evidence on site doon po sa pinangyarihan nung blast para ho makagawa ng conclusion kung ano talaga 'yung nangyari," he said.

San Juan's remains were brought Thursday afternoon to the Evergreen Chapel and Crematory in Pasig City. 

Fortun said Ayala Land helped foot San Juan's hospital bills through an account from Alveo Land which is an affiliate of Ayala Land Inc.

Meanwhile, Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano also expressed the city government's condolences to the family of San Juan.

Cayetano also assured San Juan's relatives that the probe into the Serendra blast will soon be finished.

“Umaasa akong matatapos na sa lalong madaling panahon ang imbestigasyon at malaman ang tunay na pangyayari. Para sa gayon ay maiwasan din maulit ang katulad na insidente,” she said.