4th victim in Ifugao jail fire dies

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya – Another inmate set on fire among eight others last week at the Ifugao province jail died Saturday at a hospital in Lagawe town. Joel Amado is the fourth victim to die due to severe burns after a cellmate allegedly set prisoners on fire Monday night.

Reports from the Ifugao Provincial Police Office indicated that inmate Floriano Tayaban poured kerosene on his fellow prisoners while sleeping in the their shared cell and torched them. Tayaban was said to have refused to be brought back to the Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City in southern Metro Manila due to a string of criminal cases. In an interview with Amado last Friday, he said they noticed Tayaban being restless after learning of his transfer. Before setting the victims on fire, Amado narrated that the suspect shouted: "Magsama-sama na lang tayong lahat sa impyerno (Let’s all see each other in hell)." Of the nine victims, the three have already been declared safe and re-committed at their cells, four have died and two others are still being treated at the Ifugao District Hospital. Amid assurances from the hospital’s medical specialist that the victims are already recuperating and that there’s no need for them to be transported to Manila for further treatment, Senior Superintendent Laurence Mombael, Ifugao police director, informed GMANews.TV of Amado’s death at past 6:00 p.m. Saturday. It was also almost the same time when video clips from his hospital bed, while he was still alive, are being shown on GMA’s 24 Oras Saturday Edition. Circumstances’ leading to the victim’s death is yet to be determined since no medical staff at the said hospital was available for comments as of posting time. — LBG, GMANews.TV