A man roused from his sleep went on a stabbing rampage and killed four persons early Friday morning in Quezon City.
PO1 Alvin Quisumbing of the Quezon City Police District identified the suspect as Robert Estorque, 32, a construction worker, who is now in a hospital for multiple stab wounds in the neck and chest, apparently self-inflicted.
“He stabbed himself several times after stabbing four of his relatives,” Quisumbing said.
The policeman identified the slain victims as Teodolfo Glory, 52, Serio dela Rosa, 47, Roberto Gardoze, 34, and Robert Gallenero, all residents of Aries Street in Barangay Bagong Pag-Asa where the incident took place.
Based on witnesses’ accounts the suspect had a drinking session with the victims the previous night, but went directly to sleep when they were done after midnight.
“A loud noise supposedly woke up the suspect and he immediately grabbed a knife in the kitchen and stabbed the first person he saw,” Quisumbing said.
According to witnesses, the first victim was Gardoze who was sleeping in a hammock.
Glory, the next victim, did not know the suspect was still armed when he told him to calm down, but he was also stabbed.
Although wounded, Glory tried to run away, but he was pursued by the suspect who repeatedly stabbed him.
Estorque then went back to the house where he found his third victim, Gallenero.
“He held the victim by the hair and stabbed him several times until he dropped to the ground,” Quisumbing said, quoting witnesses.
Dela Rosa, the fourth victim, had just left his house to buy coffee when he was attacked by the suspect.
Witnesses told police they later saw the victim stab himself.
Quisumbing said Estorque, who arrived in Manila from Capiz province a few days ago, will undergo a psychiatric examination.
The police report showed that all the victims sustained multiple stab wounds from a small kitchen knife used by the suspect.
Teodolfo and Gallenero died on the spot while Dela Rosa and Gardoze were rushed to the hospital but died during treatment.
Quisumbing said the suspect, who remained confined at East Avenue Medical Center, had been handcuffed to his bed.
“He was observed to be restless and acted in a violent way against hospital workers,” the policeman said.
An initial investigation showed that Estorque wanted to return to Capiz after he lost his new job because of a hand injury.
But one of the victims supposedly prevailed upon him to stay longer to let the injury heal so he could return to work.