For the mother of the man accused of starting the fire that left around 2,000 families homeless in San Juan City on Christmas Day, nothing hurts more than losing a son who died a senseless death.
“His death would have been easier to accept if he had died in the fire but not like this,” Felicita del Monte, 60, told the Inquirer on the third day of Michael Muñoz’s wake at St. John the Baptist Church in San Juan City.
Muñoz, 32, was rushed to the hospital after he was severely beaten up by some residents who accused him of starting the blaze which broke out in a community of illegal settlers in Barangay St. Joseph at 2:25 a.m. on Tuesday. He was declared dead on arrival.
The fire which reached the general alarm killed another resident—Wilfredo Dineros Jr.—and injured 19 others, including three firefighters.
“It’s like a knife is being plunged into my chest all the time. It really hurts,” the teary eyed mother of five said.
According to her, her son did not deserve to die in such a “horrible manner” considering that he was a “very good man.”
“He’s so kind. I really have no problems with him,” Del Monte said.
In fact, she said that of her four children with her first husband, Muñoz was the only one who showed her “great affection.”
“He always approached me and asked, ‘Ma, what’s your problem? Are you okay?’” she recounted.
Aside from being a good son, Del Monte said Muñoz was a “good father” to his five children—John Mark, 10; Miko, 8; Jasmin, 6; Nicole, 4 and Michael Jr., 1—with his live-in-partner Teresa Suarez.
She added that this was why she believed the accusation against her son was “without basis.”
“He knows he has children to look after. They need a house. Why would he [burn houses, including his]?” Del Monte asked.
Muñoz’s children and live-in-partner, who are homeless as a result of the fire, are temporarily staying at the covered court in Barangay Corazon de Jesus.
The Inquirer tried to speak to Suarez but she refused.
According to Del Monte, her son will be buried on Sunday at the San Juan Public Cemetery.
While Del Monte was adamant that her son had done nothing wrong, she could not provide any explanation for why he was accused of arson.
According to her, the motive of those who blamed her son for fire was still “unclear.” But whatever this was, she said she did not care anymore.
She added that what was important was for those responsible to be put behind bars. “Whoever did this to him should pay, that’s all that matters,” she said angrily.