Man who torched own family over facebook post sued

By Mar T. Supnad

STA. RITA, Pampanga -- A 25-year-old man who went berserk last July 6 and set his live-in partner and their two very young children on fire here has been jailed and charged as the youngest of his victims died on July 7.

Ferdinand Igmat was charged with parricide, frustrated parricide and frustrated murder and detained at the Sta. Rita Municipal Police Station.

Senior Supt. Joel Consulta, acting Pampanga Police Provincial Office (PPO) director, identified the fatality as Igmat’s three-month-old son Clinton; and the injured as Igmat’s 20-year-old live-in partner Jennylin Ramos and their one-year-old daughter Jenny Rose.

Consulta said Igmat used six liters of gasoline to pour on his victims to set them on fire, starting with Jennylin in the room they shared; and then taking their two children out of the house where he torched them.

Neighbors came rushing to the children’s rescue with water to put the fire out, investigators said.

The victims were first taken to the Jose Songco Lapid District Hospital in Porac, and later transferred to the Jose B. Lingad Hospital in the City of San Fernando for further treatment.

But three-month-old Clinton died hours later due to severe burns in the body, said Dr. Dunca of the JBL Hospital.

Probers said Igmat was also treated for minor burns before being arrested and charged with the crime, which stemmed from an altercation with his live-in partner over a Facebook post that offended him.