Police arrest ex-village chief in Capiz who killed 3 siblings

MANILA, Philippines—A former village chief who killed three of his siblings after his daughter lost to his brother during the village polls in Capiz has been arrested, the Department of Interior and Local Government said Thursday.

DILG said Manuel Arcenas Sr., 62, outgoing barangay (village) captain of Barangay Manapao, in Pontevedra, Capiz, was taken into custody past noon Wednesday and is now detained at the Philippine National Police Regional Headquarters at Camp Delgado.

Chief Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr., Police Regional Office 6 chief, said the elder Arcenas went into a shooting rampage after learning that his daughter Isabel, who was being groomed as his successor, lost to his younger brother Ramon in the recently concluded barangay elections.

On Tuesday, a day after Ramon was proclaimed winner as the new barangay chairman of their place, Manuel Sr. went to the house of his siblings—Ramon, 54; sisters Jennifer Arcenas-Nuyles, 57 and Evelyn Arcenas-Espinar, 58—in Barangay Manapao and shot them.

The three victims died.

During manhunt operations, it was found out that Manuel was hiding in La Paz, Iloilo.

“Nakakalungkot ang pangyayaring ito dahil nauwi ang away ng pamilya sa madugong wakas (Sadly, the family quarrels ended up in a bloodshed),” Interior Secretary Mar Roxas said, as he directed that all cases of violence during the elections be solved in the soonest time possible.

“Kailangang mabigyan ng katarungan ang pamilya ng mga biktima ng karahasan kaugnay sa nakaraang eleksyon (Justice must be served for victims of violence in the last election),” the DILG chief said.

“Hangad natin na mapanumbalik ang normal na pamumuhay ng mga residente sa mga lugar na ito sa lalong madaling panahon (Our aim is to bring back to normal the lives of residents in this place as soon as possible),” he added.

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