Drug suspect nabbed for mom’s murder in Cebu City

INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

CEBU CITY — A 38-year-old suspected drug pusher was arrested by the police for allegedly killing his own mother in Barangay Cogon-Pardo, Cebu City on Monday evening.

Jonito Lapata allegedly hit the head of his 73-year-old mother, Milagros Lapata, with a piece of wood before he finished her off by striking her head with a rock at an abandoned house about 50 meters away from their residence.

Lapata’s friend, Joshua Ortiz, 18, was brought by the victim’s other children to the Pardo police station when he said he did not know where Milagros was.

When investigated by the police, Ortiz admitted that he assisted Lapata in killing Milagros. Initial investigation showed that Lapata got mad that his mother could only raise P32,000 in cash, which was not enough to pay off his debt to his supplier of illegal drugs.

Lapata denied the allegations.

But his sister, Cherrie, said the suspect had been using shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) and Nubain, a regulated pain killer, for about two decades.  Parricide charges will be filed against Lapata and a murder case against
Ortiz.  SFM/rga