Family killed by kin in South Cotabato; 6-year-old boy survives

KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato—A 6-year old boy survived six stab wounds to tell how his family was massacred by a relative in a remote village in Banga town on Wednesday night.

The bodies of Edward Recomite, 53, his sister Mechie, 31, and mother 70-year-old Cresencia, were found inside their home in Barangay Cinco on Thursday morning.

The victims had stab wounds all over their bodies, mostly in the head and neck, police said.

But Senior Insp. Marvin Duadua, Banga town police chief, said there was one survivor: Mechie’s 6-year-old son who suffered six stab wounds on his back and contusions on his head.

Duadua said the boy woke up Thursday morning and saw the dead bodies of his mother, uncle and grandmother. He rushed outside and told relatives nearby.

The boy was rushed to a private hospital in Koronadal City after he pointed to one of the suspects who returned to the crime scene as stunned neighbors started to mill around the victims’ home.

Duadua said the boy pointed to Ian Mendiola, 24, a charcoal maker and a relative of the Recomites.

When the police raided Mendiola’s home, they found jewelry and P6,000 cash, a motorbike owned by one of the victims, and a camera he allegedly took from the victims.

Police also recovered a bloodied short pants the suspect allegedly wore in committing the crime and a bloodied eight-inch knife.

Duadua said Mendiola was last seen in a drinking session with Edward at the victim’s home on Wednesday night. Neighbor Bernard Odan later joined the two.

At the police station, Mendiola accused Odan as the one who killed the three after their drinking session.

But Odan told investigators that he was not there when the alleged crime happened. RC