Scared Aeta tribe members seek curfew after murders

The Aeta community in sitio Buyong, barangay Poblacion in Naga City wants a curfew imposed and  additional  tanods to patrol their area after Sunday’s murder of a  couple.

Aeta tribe chieftain Lilia Sanger, the mother of 28-year-old murder victim Marjilly Sanger, said she will present these proposals in their upcoming tribal council’s meeting.

Marjilly and her 30-year-old partner, trisikad driver Johnny Albero, were shot dead in their home by a gunman  past 4 a.m. last Sunday.

“When night comes, I am fearful that we may be next. My neighbor gathered all his relatives in his home because they were afraid. The assailant had a gun,” Lilia said in Cebuano.

A tent in front of a Catholic chapel was set up beside the slain couple’s house for the vigil wake.

Police said the victim’s remains have to undergo autopsy.

There was some talk  among neighbors about alleged illegal drug  sales but Senior Supt. Eduardo Saavedra, Naga City police chief, said the couple had no criminal records and that such reports have to be verified.

“He  (Albero) is not on our watch list. We are having a hard time establishing the motive because we need to know why both of them were killed,” Saavedra said in Cebuano.

Residents recounted waking up to  gunshots at dawn.

“When the gunshots rang out, all of us locked our doors and windows,” Junjun Santillan said.

Albero was a native Cebuano Catholic while Sanger was an Aeta tribe member whose community migrated to Naga City from Antique province in 2000.

Their children were placed under their grandmother’s custody. Social  welfare officers in Naga City visited the area to conduct  stress debriefing for the kids.

Saavedra said police will try have a cartographic sketch of the gunman made once the couple’s 9-year-old boy is ready to talk to them with the help of social workers.

Naga City Mayor Valdemar Chiong met with police  on the case and met with Albero’s father yesterday. Chiong said he will meet with  barangay officials of Poblacion to discuss  the murder, the first to occur int the Aeta community.  Jessa Chrisna Marie J. Agua, Correspondents with Correspondents Carmel Loise Matus and Rhea Ruth V. Rosell