Bantayan twin murder suspects charged

COMPLAINTS for robbery with homicide were filed against two charcoal makers accused of killing a 66-year-old widow and her nine-year-old granddaughter in barangay Kabangbang, Bantayan town in Bantayan Island, Cebu.

Ruben ¨Taboy” Tabion, 20, and Romel ¨May-May¨ De la Peña, 21, were charged before the Cebu Prosecutors’ Office yesterday afternoon.

The two suspects admitted to the crime.

¨We were drunk at that time. We only intended to rob not to kill. We´re sorry,” Tabion said in Cebuano.

Patricia Batoy and Angelica Pasilaban were found dead in their house in sitio Bagong Lipunan last Monday dawn. The two victims bore multiple stab wounds in the different parts of their bodies.

Joseph Giganto, who drives the victims’ tricycle, said he discovered the murder around 5:30 a.m.

Police arrested Tabion while he was about to board a boat in Bantayan Wharf.

Tabion was later arrested in sitio Tangke, barangay Ticad with wounds in the right hand.

De la Peña in his affidavit it was Tabion who stabbed the victims .

Carmen Busin, 48, younger sister of Batoy, said she is happy with the progress of the case.

Busin was with Ester Suarez, daughter of Batoy, in yesterday’s inquest proceeding.

“Kay ila mang gipatay ang akong gusto mao say mahitabo sa ila (They killed our relatives, we also want them killed),” said Busin.

Senior Insp. Ildefonso Miranda Jr., the town’s police chief, said they are investigating if the suspects had cohorts.

The victims are scheduled to be buried next week at the town’s cemetery.

One of Batoy’s six children who is in Sweden is set to arrive next week in time for the burial./CORRESPONDENT TWEENY M. MALINAO