Birthday celebrator stabbed in middle of party

A cemetery in Malabon became the scene of a crime after a birthday celebrator was stabbed and wounded in the middle of his party.

The Malabon police identified the victim as Michael Rocha, a 26-year-old pedicab driver who lives inside the Tugatog Public Cemetery in Barangay(village) Tugatog, Malabon. According to the report filed by case officers Senior Police Officer 1 Redentor Mantala Jr. and PO1 Benjamin Sy Jr., Rocha hosted a drinking spree for his friends inside the cemetery as he was celebrating his birthday at around 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday night.

The suspect identified only as alias Betong approached the victim and stabbed Rocha repeatedly. Rocha’s friends and live-in partner rushed him to Diosdado Macapagal Memorial Medical Center while Betong fled. Rocha remains confined at the hospital while the police are still trying to determine what prompted Betong to stab him.—Nathaniel R. Melican