BY MA. THERESA LADIAO
ILOILO City – The memory of Lynrose Sobretodo lingers — her life tragically cut short in a fire that engulfed multiple boarding houses in Barangay San Nicolas, La Paz district on February 18, 2024.
What was meant to be a peaceful Sunday became the final chapter of her life, leaving her family and the community haunted by a series of strange occurrences in the days following the tragedy.
For her mother, Emalyn Sobretodo, the grief is compounded by the horror of how her daughter’s remains were discovered.
“We searched tirelessly for her,” Emalyn shared, voice heavy with sorrow.
At first, there was no sign of her. But piece by piece, in the charred remnants of the building, they began to find parts of her.
It was only on the third day that a portion of Lynrose’s elbow was recovered.
With hopes of closure, her family postponed cremation, hoping to gather what remained of her.
The ordeal was grueling, as subsequent searches uncovered more parts of her body, each piece a painful reminder of her suffering.
By Saturday, the remains of her fingers were found. Yet some parts — like her legs, severed below the knees — remained missing.
Emalyn vividly recalled how her younger child, stunned, had whispered, “Mama, where are Inday’s feet?”
Shortly after the tragedy, strange phenomena unsettled the residents around the burned boarding house. Emalyn recounted dreams of her daughter, pleading for belongings left behind.
“I would dream of her saying, ‘Mama, please go to the boarding house. Get my clothes,’” she recalled, as tears filled her eyes.
Amelia Salas, a 60-year-old resident nearby, vrecalled eerie disturbances.
“Right after the fire, there was crying and someone calling for help. We’d hear Lynrose calling, ‘Help me!’ Even in broad daylight, things would move — the sound of chairs scraping on the floor. It was as if she wasn’t ready to go,” Amelia said.
The strange occurrences lasted nearly a month, leaving a lasting impression on students and neighbors alike, who grew fearful of returning home late at night.
Lynrose was a breadwinner, working tirelessly to support her family. Emalyn shared how her daughter had planned to leave for Taiwan to seek a better life. Her journey, cut short by the fire, left an unfillable void in the family, especially for her mother who now often retreats into isolation.
With a deep need for justice, the Sobretodo family plans to press negligence charges against the boarding house operator. They wait for a resolution in the hopes that accountability may bring some peace to Lynrose’s restless spirit and to their own grieving hearts.
Eight months have passed, but the weight of Lynrose’s loss remains. As everyone prepares for another Halloween, the family, not with fright but with a deep sadness — a life cut short, a soul perhaps still lingering, waiting for peace.
For her family and those who knew her, Lynrose’s story serves as both a chilling reminder and a heartfelt plea for compassion, safety, and justice./PN
