By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD City – Grudges triggered a man to kill his uncle and his cousin, while his other cousin was injured in a hacking incident at Barangay Ilijan, Bago City, Negros Occidental last Friday.
The fatalities were identified by police as Kagawad Manuel Suriaga, 71, and his son Rene Suriaga, 44, both residents of the said village.
Wounded was Kagawad’s nephew Jonarie Suriaga, 47, of the said village.
Police Lieutenant Colonel John Joel Batusbatusan, city police chief, said the incident happened after the suspect identified as 48-year-old Eleodoro Suriaga Jr. saw Manuel and a person talking about him when he passed by the barangay official’s house on April 8.
Batusbatusan said the suspect overheard Manuel reportedly telling someone that he (suspect) allegedly raped his sister 20 years ago.
The following night, the suspect barged into Manuel’s house and allegedly attacked the latter with a bolo while they were preparing dinner with his daughter-in-law and grandchildren, Batusbatusan said.
The village councilman tried to avoid the attack by running to the back door of the house, but the suspect ran after him and allegedly hacked him several times, while his daughter-in-law and grandchildren managed to escape.
Batusbatusan said that Rene was at his relative’s house when he heard the commotion at their house, prompting him to go home.
However, he didn’t know that the suspect was looking for him and was just hiding behind a guyabano tree at the back portion of their house.
Batusbatusan said the suspect then reportedly attacked Rene with a bolo several times.
The suspect’s cousin Jonarie also heard the commotion and went to the victims’ house, however the suspect hiding at the banana plants also hacked him but he was able to run.
The suspect then fled bringing with him the weapon he used in the crime.
Manuel and Rene suffered multiple hack wounds and were brought to Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital here, where the latter was declared dead on arrival, while his father later expired.
Batusbatusan said Jonarie suffered minor hack wounds.
Batusbatusan said the suspect was arrested in a pursuit operation at the house of his sibling at the said village on Saturday. He will be facing double murder charges.
The incident was reported to the police on Saturday.
