Grudge over unpaid power bill ends in hacking death

MANILA, Philippines—A pedicab driver was killed Wednesday morning allegedly by a drunken neighbor from whom he owed payment for electricity.

PO3 Jupiter Tajonera of the Manila Police District said Giorginni Rodoquillo, 32, a resident of Tondo, Manila, died after being hacked and stabbed in broad daylight by neighbor Eduardo Babijes, 55, a taxi driver.

Tajonera said that before the 10 a.m. assault, a drunken Babijes was going around the neighborhood while flaunting a jungle bolo when he chanced upon Rodoquillo sleeping on a bench in an alleyway in front of his house.

The case investigator said Babijes had a longtime grudge with Rodoquillo because the latter had not been paying for his electricity, which was sub-metered to the former’s connection.

“The victim was apparently also a ‘siga’ (bully) in their area. Whenever he would be asked to pay, he would be arrogant,” Tajonera said.

Babijes, apparently driven by anger, snapped when he saw the sleeping victim and hacked him in the back.

Roused from his sleep, Rodoquillo managed to flee at least 10 meters before crumpling to the pavement.

As he fell, Babijes caught up with him, stabbed him in the chest and hacked him repeatedly on the torso and arms. He died on the spot.

Policemen from the Don Bosco community precinct, who were patrolling the area, caught Babijes literally red-handed. He is now jailed at the MPD Homicide section and will be facing a murder charge.