Assailants break into house, kill woman, 2 kids

CEBU CITY—A woman and two of her children were hacked to death while a third child was wounded after they were attacked at home in Barangay Tambulan, Tayasan, Negros Oriental, on Friday.

The fatalities were identified as Mergie Esteban Eslao, 22; son Wilfred, 6; and daughter Larrabel, 5.

Another daughter, 2-year-old Annabel, suffered a stab wound in the stomach and is recuperating in a hospital in Dumaguete City, about 93 kilometers from Tayasan.

Insp. Fred Redira, acting police chief of Tayasan, said an investigation is being conducted to determine the motive for the attack and the identity of the perpetrators.

He said police are looking into the possibility that the attack’s real target was Mergie’s husband, Werlie, 24, who is suspected of being behind a series of thefts of farm animals in the neighborhood.

Redira said that two years ago, an unidentified armed man confronted and threatened the Eslao family. One of Werlie’s associates has been killed recently.

Redira said the killings of Mergie and her children were discovered by Mergie’s father, Wally, who lives about 100 meters from the Eslao house.

Wally’s wife, Terry, was awakened by screams and cries of a child coming from Mergie’s house at about 1 a.m. on Friday. She asked her husband to check out the commotion.

Wally asked a village watchman to accompany him to Mergie’s house.

Redira said Wally and the watchman had to cut a rope that was tied around the door to get inside the Eslao house.

Wally found the body of the son, Wilfred, sprawled on the kitchen floor bearing several stab wounds.

Mergie was found lying on top of 2-year-old Annabel, apparently trying to shield the child from the attack. Mergie suffered 16 hack and stab wounds while Annabel had a stab wound in the abdomen.

Behind Mergie lay the body of Larrabel, who was stabbed in the abdomen.

According to Redira, Werlie was out at that time after he was asked by his wife to run an errand.

When he returned at past 1 a.m., Werlie was distraught to find his wife and two children dead and another child bloodied.