Janiuay arson kills brother-in-law, injures three

By Jennifer P. Rendon

A 31-year-old man remained at large after he allegedly set his parents’ house on fire shortly before midnight April 2 in Janiuay, Iloilo.

Police said they launched a hot-pursuit operation to arrest the suspect, identified only as alias Remos, but failed to catch him because the arson was reported only at 8:23 a.m. on April 3, or more than nine hours after the incident.

The fire killed Remos’ brother-in-law, identified only as Wilgie, a resident of Barangay Buray, Oton, Iloilo.

The blaze also injured the suspect’s sister, Sheila, who was Wilgie’s wife, and their siblings Ivy, 35, and Richard, 39, both residents of Barangay Barasalon, a remote village about 26 kilometers from Janiuay town proper.

Capt. Marlon Perez, Janiuay police chief, said the incident began when Remos, who was allegedly drunk, arrived at his parents’ house at about 10 p.m. Thursday.

“He was visibly pissed when he went inside the house and began acting unruly,” Perez said.

Richard allegedly reprimanded Remos, the youngest of the siblings, further enraging him.

A heated argument then broke out between the two brothers.

Their sister Ivy and their mother, Cecilia, tried to pacify the suspect.

Police said that only angered him more, prompting him to get a 20-liter container filled with gasoline and douse the house with it.

He then allegedly set the house on fire.

Richard told investigators he tried to stop Remos from torching the house, but the suspect acted too quickly.

Richard said he had no choice but to save his nieces and nephews.

Police said Wilgie was asleep when the fire broke out.

Wilgie, his wife, and their two children had gone to Janiuay to visit Sheila’s family for Holy Week.

Investigators said Wilgie had been drinking earlier that evening and went to sleep ahead of his wife.

After the fire, his body was found lying on his back near the kitchen door.

Perez said the house was totally gutted because it was made of mixed materials.

The three injured victims were taken to Federico Roman Tirador Sr. Memorial District Hospital in Janiuay for treatment.

Ivy was later transferred to Western Visayas Medical Center in Iloilo City because of the severity of her burns.