MEMORANDUM

FOR : S/Supt. John Gregorio

City Fire Marshall
Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija

SUBJECT : INVESTIGATION REPORT

Re: Fire at house in Barangay Bagting, Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija
Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija

DATE : May __, 2021

AUTHORITY:

a. Current SOPs
b. Section 50 of RA 6975
c. Mission Order No. 2021-98 dated May __, 2021

MATTERS INVESTIGATED:

a. The probable cause

b. The perpetrator(s) if there is any
c. The motive behind the occurence of fire

FACTS OF THE CASE:

1. As initially stated in the Spot Investigation Report dated May __, 2021, a fire put out at around 4
a.m. of May __, 2021 at Villanueva’s residence, Barangay Bagting, Gabaldon Nueva Ecija. The burnt
property was owned by Villanueva’s family.

2. Police Officer 3 Jonathan Fabionar, who was among those who went upstairs when the flames
were put out, Senior Fire Officer 2 John Dumayas said the fire broke out at around 2:55 a.m. and
reached third alarm before the fire was placed under control at 3:26 a.m. and all six members of the
household were dead after the occurrence of fire.

3. Firefighters identified them as cardiologist Dr.Ken Villanueva, 52; his wife, Vanessa, 50, a non-
practicing pediatrician; daughters Switzer, 20, and River, 17; and house helpers Nina Sayaman, 27, and
Sarah Sayaman, 30.

4. An interview with neighbor Shen Tanguilig, who lives across the street, said she heard a female
voice shouting for help. And Police Officer 3 Jonathan Fabionar, who was among those who went
upstairs when the flames were put out, said some of the victims were in an embrace while one of them
was on top of another, in an apparent attempt to shield the one beneath.

5. It lasted for just a few seconds. Then the voice faded. Then there was an explosion,” Shen said in
Filipino. The sound of what seemed to be an explosion came from a Hyundai Starex van parked in the
family’s garage. Arson investigators believe the van was the source of the fire that enveloped the entire
house. Arson investigators are looking into the possibility of foul play since the cover of the gas tank of
the Starex van was opened and the steel cap missing. This was also the case with an Isuzu Trooper
parked in the garage.
6. Investigators found that the gate’s padlock was not locked and hanging on an elevated grill after the
fire. Members of the household could not have gone down the stairs to escape the flames since it was
the ground floor that was first to burn. The windows on the second floor had steel grills. There was also
no exit at the back of the house. There were three doors on the ground floor, but all these lead to the
main gate. Of the two vehicles that were lined up along the garage, it was the Starex van – the source of
the flames – that was near the gate.

DISPOSITION:

7. The fire personnel are continuing with the investigation to determine the arson angle.

8. Final investigation report will follow.

FO2 JOHN KENNETH S. SANTIAGO BFP

Officer-on-Case