Teen hacked to death by mentally ill cousin

MANILA, Philippines—A teenager was allegedly hacked to death by his older cousin, said to be mentally ill, when the victim came to visit him on in Quezon City on Thursday afternoon.

Adonis Matutina, 32, was arrested for allegedly killing his 18-year-old cousin Allan Bautista with a bolo.

Police learned that the suspect is an out-patient of the National Center for Mental Health.

Case investigator Police Officer 2 Marlon dela Vega said Matutina has a regular monthly checkup at the mental health facility although his exact illness was still unclear.

The suspect’s mother, Emma, claimed that her son was previously confined in a mental health facility and takes maintenance medicine daily.

Bautista died at the Fairview General Hospital an hour after the hacking incident at Matutina’s house on Yen Street, Phase 8 in Barangay North Fairview.

Dela Vega said the victim was a resident of San Francisco del Monte and had dropped by to help in fixing the kitchen sink.

At around 4 p.m., the victim had gone out briefly and was returning to the Matutinas when he met the suspect who was sitting by the front door.

For still unknown reasons, the suspect attacked his cousin with a bolo, hacking him on the neck.

Stunned, Bautista managed to dash out of the house and run to a relative’s neighboring house but he eventually collapsed from his injury.

His relatives rushed him to the hospital where he died an hour later due to a single hack wound on the left side of his neck.

Dela Vega said watchmen of Barangay North Fairview arrested Matutina, who yielded the bolo allegedly used in the attack.

Dela Vega said the bolo belonged to the Matutina family and was always kept in the kitchen.