The killing of a 74-year-old woman and her nine-year-old granddaughter caused an outrage in barangay Kabangbang, Bantayan town in Bantayan Island, Cebu.
The town’s police chief, Senior Insp. Ildefonso Miranda Jr., admitted he cried in anger when he saw the body of the girl riddled with stab wounds.
“Ako nagsud-ong ko, nagtulo akong luha nga nagtan-aw labi pa sa bata. Mga demonyo ra nga klase sa tawo uy nga makahimo niadto (I am deeply saddened. I shed tears while watching the body of the girl. People capable of doing this are like demons),” Miranda said.
Patricia Desamparado Batoy and her granddaughter Angelica Pasilaban were found dead inside their house in sitio Bagong Lipunan at 7 a.m. Monday with stab wounds in different parts of their bodies.
Miranda said Batoy had 14 stab wounds in the back and chest while her granddaughter had six stab wounds, one in the armpit.
The suspects, Romel Ramirez de la Peña, 21, and Ruben Desamparado Tabion, 20, were arrested separately a few hours after they allegedly robbed and killed the two victims.
Miranda said prior to the crime, the two suspects were seen buying a bottle of rhum at the store owned by Batoy on Sunday evening.
Miranda said the crime was committed at 2 a.m. on Monday based on the accounts of the neighbors who heard dogs barking.
According to some neighbors, they saw two young men at the store of Batoy on the evening before the bodies were found.
Miranda they immediately tried to locate the two men after the crime was reported.
De la Peña was spotted at the port and was about to board a boat bound for Negros Occidental at 9 a.m. on Monday.
Police held de la Peña for questioning.
Police checked the man’s bag and found two wallets with at least P4,000, a pair of white gold earrings and a white gold ring. A small box with the ID photo of Batoy was also found.
Miranda said they noticed that de la Peña was wearing two shirts and when he was asked to undress, the inner shirt had stains of blood.
During the interrogation, De la Peña admitted the crime and pointed to Tabion as the one who stabbed the victims several times.
Miranda said they conducted a manhunt operation and arrested Tabion at 3 p.m. Monday in sitio Tangke, barangay Ticad, Bantayan.
Miranda said the community was outraged upon learning the crime.
Tabion was mauled by bystanders who helped the police in arresting him.
Miranda said an eight-inch kitchen knife believed to have been used in the killing was also found after De la Peña confessed that he threw it in other area upon the order of Tabion.
Miranda said De la Peña claimed Tabion threatened to kill him if he would not throw the knife.
Tabion sustained injuries in the hand when he stabbed the victims since the knife had no holder, police said.
Miranda said they traced the blood stains at the window where the suspects escaped after the incident.
At the police station, the suspects asked for apology from the relatives of the victims, saying they were just drunk.
A case for robbery with homicide will be filed against the suspects today before the provincial prosecutor’s, office, Miranda said.
Miranda said he would also order to let the two undergo drug test, believing that the suspects have been using drugs too.
Miranda said based on his investigation, he found out that the suspects also robbed Batoy in the past but they were just forgiven by the victim./WITH CORRESPONDENT JOY CHERRY S. QUITO