By Jennifer P. Rendon
Two young men were injured after being randomly stabbed early on the morning of May 13 in Jaro, Iloilo City.
Bernard Española, 19, and Mike Española, 20, both residents of Barangay Cubay, Jaro, stopped by the roadside at Barangay Tacas when they were attacked around 1:40 a.m. Monday.
A 16-year-old boy, their companion, was also wounded after being struck on the head with brass knuckles, while another companion was unharmed.
According to Captain Melchor Tolentino, the victims and their companions were on a single motorcycle from Pavia, Iloilo, when the incident occurred. They had stopped after navigating a bridge in Cubay village due to mechanical trouble with the motorcycle.
As they were about to dismount, two men approached them and, without a word, stabbed the two victims. Bernard sustained a stab wound on his back, while Mike was injured on his left shoulder.
The two victims were rushed to West Visayas State University Medical Center, while the teenager was taken to Western Visayas Medical Center for treatment.
Police have identified one of the suspects. CCTV footage showed a man known as Elias, 21, of Barangay Anilao, Pavia, and another individual casually walking near the crime scene after the incident.
Meanwhile, Jerry Trabuco, head tanod of Barangay Pagsangaan, Pavia, confirmed that the same suspect had also tried to stab him after being admonished for causing alarm and scandal at a community dance in the village.
Trabuco evaded further physical confrontation with the suspect and called for police assistance instead.
The Pavia Municipal Police Station confirmed that Elias has at least three infractions recorded at their office: grave threats on June 16, 2023; two counts of frustrated murder in November 2023; and frustrated homicide in January 2024.
All cases have been filed, and he was also accused of being involved in other stabbing incidents in Pavia town.
