DAVAO CITY(MindaNews / 17 May 2026) — The Supreme Court En Banc has ordered the state-run University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP) here to pay P6,450,000 as indemnity to the parents of a freshman English major who died in a tragic fire incident 20 years ago during a beauty pageant inside the school.
In a 46-page decision promulgated on November 25, 2025, and uploaded to the Court’s website on May 14, 2026, the Court, through Senior Associate Justice Mario Victor “Marvic” Leonen, junked the petition for certiorari that the university filed to reverse the August 31, 2018 Court of Appeals’ decision, finding it liable for damages for the death of its student.
Finding the university negligent for “its lack of preparedness for foreseeable emergencies,” the Court held the school solidarily liable, with its former executives, President Dr. Romulo Dequito, Dr. Marie Rose Escalada, Dr. Gilbert Gordo, Professor Catherine Roble, and Emma Gobantes, to pay indemnity to the victim’s parents, Antonio and Rosita Sarate.
The Court found collective negligence among school officials for their failure to “exercise due diligence in taking safety measures to ensure that no unfortunate incident would happen for those who would use its facilities.”
“This Court does not mean to put a price to a person’s life. The value of a human being is immeasurable. It is priceless. Yet the law, in all of its justice, deems it necessary that every injury – more so the loss of life – be compensated in the form of damages. Life is precious. No amount of damages can ever hope to replace it. Regrettably, this is the utmost extent to which the Court can intervene,” the Court ruled.
According to the Court, the Guild of English Students (Guild), a recognized student organization in the University, organized a tragic beauty pageant in the USeP’s social hall on July 20, 2006.
Cheryl Sarate, 16, of Calinan district, was a first year student of Bachelor of Arts major in English who joined the search for the Lady and Lord of Utopia, an annual beauty pageant organized by the Guild of English Students.
The victim suffered severe burns and died three days later due to “cardiac arrest due to septic shock, the antecedent cause is secondary to flame burn 80% total body surface area, involving face, neck, anterior chest, back, both upper and lower extremities.”
“The organizers installed a T-shaped ramp lined with 12 small, lit candles in brown paper bags filled with damp soil. Each paper bag was tied with crepe paper, and the opening of the bags were structured like crowns to resemble a lantern. Some of the social hall’s lights were switched off to highlight the candlelight,” it said.
When it was the victim’s turn to walk, her gown made of highly flammable materials was immediately engulfed in flames.
Her gown was made of cotton balls glued to plastic cellophane, typically used to cover books; the lower skirt was on a tie-wire to create a petticoat design; its hem was covered with small feathers; and her tube blouse was covered with rolled cotton flattened to her chest.
“Cheryl was standing on the leftmost side of the T-shaped ramp when her gown caught fire as she turned to pose. When she turned right to walk to the center ramp, she used her bare hands to ward off the small flames that started to engulf her,” the Court said.
The Court added that “the flames blazed, causing Cheryl to jump over the right side of the hall where the audience sat.”
“She tripped as she screamed for help. Some students tried to help, and the fires were eventually put out. After the fire, Cheryl was seen topless, wearing only denim short pants. People tried to hug and console her. The ambulance arrived 30 minutes later and brought Cheryl to the hospital. Despite this, the pageant resumed,” the Court noted. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
