Arson raps readied; woman killed in blaze

Police will file charges against a newly hired housemaid for yesterday’s dawn fire in barangay Banilad, Cebu City, where another housemaid was killed.

A complaint for arson with homicide will be filed against Aubrey Soria, 22, a domestic helper of  the Parcon family, said Senior Supt. Aderson Comar, fire marshal of the Cebu City Fire Department.

“It is confirmed that the suspect admitted her wrongdoing,” said Comar in a text message to Cebu Daily News.

He did not say  what prompted the maid to  start the fire.

Soria was detained for questioning by the police.  She  had worked as the family’s maid  for only three days before the blaze.

The fire  broke out about 2 a.m. in the house of her employer, Mariano Parcon Jr.

The flames destroyed the house along with the adjoining house of Parcon’s father, Mariano Sr., a 78-year-old retired colonel and  his wife,  Teresita.

Some damage was reported in another house of his sister, Arlene Torreflores.

The burned remains of  Cornelia Tagalog, 52, one of the  family’s housemaids and  a native of Ozamiz City, was found in the ground floor.

Parcon’s family and his  parents escaped the fire unharmed.

“I’m still shaking. I’m still in shock with what happened. We were asleep and we woke up hearing people around us telling us to come out,” Mrs. Parcon said.

The village security guard,  Raymund Lotrago,  rushed to the fire scene and helped bring out the retired colonel, who is  wheelchair-bound,  and his wife.

Mariano Parcon Jr. said that Tagalog of Ozamiz City had served the family for over a year.

Soria, who was hired a few days ago,  was earlier declared  missing when she and Tagalog couldn’t be immediately found.

But neighbors told police investigators Soria  was seen running from the house carrying bags at 4 a.m.

Police caught up with Soria, a resident  of barangay Dumlog, Talisay City, and held her for questioning.

The fire started in the guest room on the ground floor based on initial investigation by the Cebu City Fire Department.

Fire investigator Omar Segovia said that Mariano Jr. noticed the fire at 2:06 a.m. and immediately awakened his three children and brought them to safety.
He also tried to awaken the housemaids, whose room was  beside their bedroom but there was no response.

Fire fighters arrived 15 minutes after the fire broke out and was contained after five minutes, according to Fire Chief Comar. /WITH Correspondent  Chito O. Aragon