Woman allegedly sets self on fire

"Woman trader allegedly sets self on fire" By DJ Yap
Philippine Daily Inquirer
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20090909-224403/Woman-trader-allegedly-sets-self-on-fire

A businesswoman having deep financial troubles allegedly set herself ablaze while driving her car with her stepdaughter still inside the vehicle Wednesday morning in Rodriguez town, the police said.

But the police said they were not yet prepared to declare the case of Antonia Golez, 58, a widow, as a suicide pending the results of the crime scene investigation and the questioning of the victim’s stepdaughter Princess Rose Ann, 18.

Based on the initial report, at about 8:42 a.m. Golez was driving her Nissan sedan, with plate number TMD -729, along a zigzag road in Barangay San Jose, with Princess in the passenger seat, when the victim allegedly reached for a gasoline container.

Princess told investigators her stepmother doused herself with gasoline and set herself on fire using a lighter while the car was still moving, said Supt. Felipe Abigan Jr., chief of the Rodriguez police.

“Princess escaped by jumping out of the car. When she came to us, she had bruises on her body,” Abigan said.

Eyewitnesses told investigators that “there was no attempt” on the part of Golez to get out of the car, the official said.

Golez, who had a transport business in the town, was reportedly depressed about her financial problems.

The two had gone on a trip to Quezon City to borrow money from someone and were on their way back home when the incident occurred, Abigan said. “Princess said they were not quarreling and were just having a normal conversation when it happened,” he said.

After Golez set herself ablaze, Princess jumped out of the moving car which kept going until it stopped when it hit the gutter, Abigan said.

Firefighters came too late to rescue the businesswoman, who was burned beyond recognition. The car was also totally razed. A scene-of-the-crime operations team processed the scene.

As of press time, Princess was still being held and questioned at the Rodriguez police station. Abigan said she would be released once the investigators had ruled out any foul play in the case.