(FLICKR / MANILA BULLETIN)
Zamboanga Peninsula Police Region 9 (PRO-9) Director Brig. Gen. Ronaldo Genaro E. Ylagan identified the children, all bearing the surname Colanggo, as Gian, 9; Njay, 8; Anthon, 7, and Christian, 4.
Ylagan said the incident took place about 10 p.m. Thursday in Purok 1, Sitio Bayanihan i, Barangay Lower Salug Daku in Mahayag town in Zamboanga del Sur.
According to Ylagan, the four children were left by their father identified as Gil Albatera Colanggo, 43, a farmer, at around 9:30 p.m. to attend the wake of a relative just a kilometer away from their house.
But when he returned less than an hour later, he was terrified to find their house already razed. He later learned that his four children were not able to get out of their house.