Man kills couple who accused him of using illegal drugs

CEBU CITY—A 27-year-old construction worker surrendered to authorities on Tuesday noon and admitted killing a couple whom he suspected of informing the police that he was a drug user.

Eduardo Ardiente yielded to Busay barangay councilor Renato Caballes who turned him over to the Cebu City Police office’s intelligence division.

Ardiente was detained at the Cebu City police office stockade pending the filing of two counts of murder and one count of frustrated murder against him.

Supt. Michael Bastes, chief of the city intelligence branch, said they recovered the knife used in stabbing Ricardo Cupta, his wife Francisca, and Cyric Balolot.

The couple died of multiple stab wounds in the head and parts of their bodies while Balolot was wounded in the left arm.

In an interview, Ardiente admitted killing the couple but denied using illegal drugs.

“I had enough. Every day, they kept telling me, ‘you surrender to the authorities,’” he said in Cebuano.

Ardiente said the couple, as well as Balolot, kept on accusing him of stealing things and other infractions which he didn’t commit.

He said he was into illegal drugs but stopped in 2010.

“I drink and I smoke, but I don’t use drugs,” he stressed.

On Monday, Ardiente first went to the house of Balolot, a cousin, and stabbed him in the mountain barangay of Busay, Cebu City, past 8 p.m. on Monday.

Balolot was hit on the left arm before the latter managed to run.

Ardiente then went to the house of the Cupta couple and found Francisca in the kitchen.

As he stabbed the woman, she managed to scream for help. Ricardo rushed to help his wife but was stabbed, too.

Barangay captain Amilo Lopez of Busay said they hunted down Ardiente but could not find him on Monday night.

The suspect reportedly went to Cebu City proper before he decided to surrender noon today.

“He said he was hungry,” Lopez said.