Those were the last words spoken by a 55-year-old former seaman to his youngest daughter minutes before he gunned down the rest of his family and their maid in their home in Palm View Village, barangay Tabunok in Talisay City yesterday.
Emmanuel Redula Ponce eventually shot himself on his head, while the lone survivor, 14-year-old Embrelaince Therjoy, was inside her room when she heard the gunfire at past 8 a.m.
The other victims were Ponce’s Melinda, a branch manager of Banco de Oro in Taboan Cebu City, their eldest daughter Elaine Grace, their son Heather Joy, 18-year-old daughter Emlin Bridge and their 30-year-old maid Anastacia Deñiega.
The 14-year-old Embrelaince rushed out of the house and called for help from neighbors.
One of them was Yolanda Daan, wife of Provincial Board (PB) member Julian Daan.
Yolanda said the girl told her she was in her room when she heard the gunfire.
Beatings
She said the girl told her that she saw her brother kneeling and two women lying below the dining table and kitchen sink.
Yolanda confirmed that the girl’s father told her to get out because the rest of the family would die.
Bobby Belaro, a neighbor, said he and his family heard people running inside the Ponce’s house followed by several gunshots.
He said Embrelaince was shaking uncontrollably when she got out of the house.
SP01 Mikie Espina of the Talisay City police precinct said they were informed about the incident by Talisay City Administrator Ritchie Bacaltos at past 8 a.m.
Yolanda said she was aware of the marital dispute between Emmanuel and his 55-year-old wife Melinda, a branch manager of Banco de Oro in barangay Tabuan, Cebu City.
She said Melinda, who attended the meetings of the Tabunok Homeowners Association, would often recount to her the beatings she suffered from her husband.
Gawas didto ‘day. Pagtawag og polis kay ikaw ra’y mabuhi, kaming tanan mamatay (Get out, dear. Call the police, you’re the only one who will live. All of us will die).”
She said her husband once poked a knife at her, forcing their children to defend her.
Yolanda said Emmanuel would often feel jealous of Melinda who usually arrived late at night from meetings.
Yolanda said Emmanuel’s suffered a head injury in an accident while working as a seaman abroad a decade ago.
She said Emmanuel was operated on and he was advised to quit his job.
Despite this, Yolanda said Emmanuel built a house in Talisay City and acquired two Innova cars.
He also purchased several properties like another house nearby, an apartment in barangay Labangon and a lot in barangay Mabolo in Cebu City.
Yolanda said they considered Emmanuel as a good person and they were shocked by what happened.
Tragedy
She said Embrelaince was spared because she was very dear to him. “Pinangga gyud kaayo niya nang bataa (He loved her very much),” she said.
According to police, the couple’s 26-year-old daughter Elaine Grace was a volunteer nurse of the Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation (ERUF).
Yolanda said Elaine was about to go to Canada prior to the massacre.
The couple’s only son, 25-year-old Heather, was a nursing graduate while Emlin was a Radio Technology student.
Embrelaince is a second year high school student of USC Girls High. SPO1 Espina said all the victims except for Elaine were in the living room at the time of the massacre.
Vicky Lastimosa, Emmanuel’s cousin, said they planned to go to Kawasan Falls days before the tragedy. “He was a good man,” she said in Cebuano.
Recovered from the crime scene were one .45 pistol and its seven empty shells, two slugs, one deformed slug and one metal fragment.
Third this year
The victims were all brought to the Talisay City District Hospital, where they were declared dead.
The remains of the family and their maid were interred at the St. Peter Funeral Homes in Talisay City.
Yolanda said Embrelaince was turned over to her auntie, Thelma Billones who resides in barangay Tabunok.
Insp. Margeneatte Yosores of the Talisay City police’s Women and Children desk said they were coordinating their investigation with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
On hearing the news, the University of San Carlos Girls High School (USC-GHS) batch 2004 posted their condolences to the Ponce family through Facebook.
The massacre is the third parricide case to occur in Cebu this year.
Last August, a nursing student named Christian Dalangin was arrested for the murder of his mother in barangay Mambaling, Cebu City.
Last Sept. 8, a minor was accused of murdering his pregnant mother and half-sister at their home in barangay Naalad, Naga City. Jhunnex Napallacan and Gabriel Bonjoc , Correspondents with Correspondents Rhea Ruth V. Rosell and Edison delos Angeles