16-year-old boy with autism dies after being trapped in house fire in Valenzuela City
- A 16-year-old boy with autism died in a fire in Barangay Malanday, Valenzuela City
- The victim was identified as 16-year-old John Ric Hiligan who was left at home with two younger siblings when the fire broke out
- Authorities say the fire may have started from a lighter used to calm the boy
- Four families were displaced, while damage assessment remains ongoing
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A 16-year-old boy with autism died after being trapped inside their burning home along Joaquin Santiago Street in Barangay Malanday, Valenzuela City on Monday, January 5.
Source: UGC
The victim was identified by relatives as John Ric Hiligan, whose death has left his family and community in deep grief.
According to his father Joseph, he was driving a jeepney for work at the time of the incident, while his wife was visiting relatives in Caloocan when the fire broke out past 8:00 a.m.
John Ric was left at home with his two younger siblings.
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Joseph said the siblings tried to pull John Ric out of the house as the fire spread. However, the boy reportedly refused to leave and stayed inside the burning structure.
When firefighters finally put out the blaze, John Ric’s body was found on the first floor after the second floor, where he was initially trapped, collapsed.
Investigators are looking into the possibility that the fire started from a lighter that John Ric often used for comfort.
“Pag nagwala ‘yun, talagang lighter ang pampakalma sa kanya,” said Joseph.
The victim’s mother, Gracie Caubalejo, was overcome with grief as she recalled the last time she saw her son during media noche.
“Kung naririnig man ako ng anak ko, anak narito na ako. Hinihintay lang niya siguro ang pag-uwi ko,” she said.
The family has sought assistance from the Valenzuela City government to help cover cremation expenses and begin rebuilding their lives after losing everything.
“Kung ano na lang maitulong nila sa amin kasi lahat talaga wala. Ubos,” Joseph appealed.
Barangay officials also reminded parents to exercise extra caution, especially when caring for children with special needs.
“Sa mga magulang, wag iiwanan ‘yung anak nila, laging tuunan ng pansin, at sikapin natin hindi sila makapaglaro ng apoy,” said Mayeth Ramel, dispatcher of the Malanday Barangay Public Safety Office.
The fire reached first alarm level and was extinguished after nearly an hour.
The Malanday BPSO reported that four families were displaced and are currently staying in modular tents provided by the barangay. Meanwhile, the Bureau of Fire Protection continues to assess the total damage caused by the fire.
In an earlier local report by KAMI, a family of three was brutally shot and killed inside their own store in Barangay Mallorca, San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija. CCTV footage reportedly showed three men entering the shop, pulling down the roll-up door, and then shooting all the family members until they died. Before fleeing the scene, one of the suspects was also seen taking a bag and a cellphone belonging to the victims. According to TV5 Frontline Pilipinas correspondent Gary De Leon, the family had allegedly been receiving threats after lending ₱1 million to a resident of their barangay, who was said to have used the money for a business venture.
In another local story that went viral, a 51-year-old public school teacher in Las Piñas City was stabbed multiple times by her own husband. Based on a report by EJ Gomez on Unang Balita, the 38-year-old suspect carried out the attack inside the school’s faculty room. Police said the campus had a security guard on duty, but because the suspect was a familiar figure, he was able to enter and leave the premises without difficulty. The suspect claimed that he went to the school to talk to his wife and settle their issues, but the discussion allegedly escalated into a heated argument that ended in violence.
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Source: KAMI.com.gh
