MANILA, Philippines–The bodies of three women—a mother, her teenage daughter and their housemaid—were found among the debris of their house that burned down in a Parañaque City subdivision early Thursday morning.
But were they trapped in the fire or killed by someone—possibly with a gun—who later set the house ablaze?
Insp. Wilson Tana, the city’s chief arson investigator, cited signs of foul play in the death of Charina Luya, 35; her daughter Charline, 16; and the helper Josephine Amante, who was described to be in her 40s.
The three women were the only occupants of the bungalow on Thomas Street, Multinational Village in Barangay (village) Moonwalk, where the fire broke out at 12:50 a.m.
Responding firemen managed to prevent the flames from reaching neighboring houses and declared the fire out at 2:26 a.m.
They later found the Luyas dead on the floor of Amante’s room, both with lacerations on the forehead, according to Tana.
The remains of Amante were charred beyond recognition when found in the same room. A .45-caliber bullet casing was also found in the room.
In the initial investigation, a neighbor recalled hearing a loud bang—which she thought to be that of a firecracker—between 12 midnight and 1 a.m., Tana said.
“There was also blood on the back of the mother’s head, while the daughter appeared to have been dragged from the living room (to the helper’s room) as indicated by the blood stains on the floor,” the officer told the Inquirer. “It (the fire) may just be a coverup. They may have been killed before the house was set on fire.”
Arson investigators suspect that the fire spread from two separate areas of the house—Amante’s room and that of the Luyas.
The Luyas’ room and the living room were destroyed while Amante’s room—where all the bodies were found—was partially damaged.
Tana also gathered from residents that Charina had long been separated from her husband and that Charline was an incoming college freshman enrolled in the University of Santo Tomas.
The victims’ bodies were brought to Rizal Funeral Homes in Libertad, Pasay City.