“Why them, Lord? It could’ve been anyone else.” A heartbroken police officer weeps and questions God after losing four of his loved ones—his wife and their three children. Crying, he asks the Lord why it had to be them. Why them?

But instead of blaming the Lord, why doesn’t he ask himself why it happened? Why did he do the things that hurt his wife and family? Perhaps none of this would have happened, dear viewers, if he had been a good and responsible father—if only he had been more attentive to his wife. If only he had asked what she needed, what her problems were. If only he had been more responsive to her cries for help, maybe he wouldn’t be mourning like this today.

Yes, it is truly painful, dear viewers, to witness something so tragic happen to your own family. But have you ever asked yourself why your wife did what she did? Why did it all happen? Was it your fault? Was it a test from God? Or was it simply fate?

For those who don’t know the full story behind the death of the mother and her three children in Sta. Maria, Bulacan—depression is not a joke. And this was the main cause. In an instant, three innocent children lost their lives, followed by their mother, who couldn’t bear to be without them.

This is a reminder, especially to moms: no matter how hard life gets, never hesitate to ask for help and guidance from our Lord God to avoid tragedies like this.

The children were so pitiful—so innocent, unaware of the world around them, and yet they were caught in a tragic event that shocked not only the entire Philippines but even the world.

According to police investigations, the couple had been having issues even before the incident. A mother and her three children died in a fire in Sta. Maria, Bulacan. The victims were a 20-year-old mother and her three sons, aged 1, 3, and 6. The fire broke out in Barangay San Vicente, Sta. Maria, Bulacan, in the morning of Wednesday, May 15.

According to a neighbor, she saw the mother of the children come out of the house before the fire.

“Two people were already shouting that there was a fire. When I turned around, there was smoke. We all helped to break down the gate. We helped each other get water. I grabbed a blanket to cover the children. But it was too dark inside—we couldn’t see the kids,” said a neighbor.

The father was not at home during the fire as he was at work in Batangas. The doors of the house were locked, prompting neighbors to forcibly break the locks. One of the responders said they first saw the fire consuming the body of the one-year-old boy, already lifeless in bed.

They later found the two other children in the bathroom. One of the responders shared:

“I carried the second child. He was still crying, I could still hear his heartbeat—but I couldn’t do anything.”

The two children and their mother were rushed to the hospital but were later declared dead.

In the initial investigation by the Bureau of Fire Protection, matches and two bottles of paint were found inside the victims’ house.

“In our findings, the child was the one burned. His bed was just collateral damage. There’s a high probability that there was an open flame involved. It appears that the burning of the property was secondary. The person was the main target,” said SFO3 Alfredo Hernandez, Chief Fire Investigator of Santa Maria BFP.

According to Barangay Captain Potensiano Lorenzo of San Vicente, hours before the fire, the mother had gone to their office to file a blotter report regarding problems with her husband.

“She filed a blotter report the night before. We were planning to call them both in to resolve the issue, but it didn’t happen. The next morning, this tragic fire occurred,” said Lorenzo.

The source of this news, dear viewers, is ABH CVN News, to whom we give full credit.

Whether rich or poor, anyone can experience depression. And no matter how wealthy you are, you are not immune to this kind of illness—an illness where only God can provide true comfort.

We’ve heard the investigation, dear viewers: the mother even filed a police blotter against her husband and his parents. The very people who were supposed to help her—her husband and in-laws—were the same ones who drove her to this tragedy.

Though the mother and her children perished together, they were buried separately. The woman’s family in Batangas wanted her buried there, while the children were buried in the husband’s hometown.

It’s painful to think about, hear, and witness tragedies like this, dear viewers. All because of unresolved marital issues and the interference of in-laws, the unimaginable happened.

If only the husband had been a better man. If only the in-laws hadn’t meddled. Perhaps the mother would have been in a sound state of mind—and maybe they’d all still be alive today.