In Bacolod, a disturbing case of glee in killing

BACOLOD CITY—A 16-year-old suspect took a video of how he and his companion killed a prominent doctor here inside the victim’s house last week.

The teenager even held his camera phone in front of him, with the dying Dr. Andres Gumban at the background. He smiled, winked and hummed before turning off the video recording.

The 5-minute-and-18-second video was presented by police on Tuesday to refute the allegation of the minor that the 63-year-old pulmonologist made sexual advances on him, prompting him to grab a knife and stab Gumban 24 times.

Senior Superintendent Ricardo de la Paz, Bacolod police director, said the suspect may be high on drugs when he took the video using his cellular phone so he could brag it to his friends.

Although the suspects had a history of drug use, De la Paz said police were not able to take a drug test because they were prevented by lawyers of the minor and his companion, 18-year-old Fof Pascual.

De la Paz said the minor and Pascual didn’t expect to be arrested.

A neighbor, who heard the doctor’s plea for help, barged into the victim’s house in Barangay (village) Alijis and apprehended the suspects. The other neighbors also alerted police.

Police said Gumban picked up the two suspects at the north terminal and brought them to his house.

When Gumban went out, the minor placed his cell phone by the window in the kitchen and started the video recording.

Gumban entered the kitchen and washed his hands in the sink. The minor then repeatedly hit him in the head.

Gumban was on the floor when Pascual stabbed him four times in the chest. The victim crawled to his room but the suspects dragged him to the bathroom where the stabbing continued.