Monday, October 08, 2007 Family attacked while having dinner
A WOMAN died while her husband and another person were wounded when a man armed with a bolo hacked them while they were having dinner in Magtuod, Ma-a, Davao City on Saturday night.
The victim, declared dead at the Davao Medical Center, was identified as 58-year-old Elizabeth Benilan.
Presently undergoing treatment at the DMC are Victor Sordilla, 55, the victim's live-in partner, and Vivian Saromines.
The couple is Saromines' wedding godparents.
In an interview conducted by Sun.Star Superbalita at the hospital Sunday morning, Sordilla identified the suspect as one Mario Sigue alias Balot, their neighbor on Diversion Road at Lower Dampa in Magtuod.
"Nakaila gyud ko sa iyaha, pati si Vivian kay nakakita gyud mi (We recognized him, even Vivian recognized him)," Sordilla, who was hacked on the nape and arms, said.
Sordilla said they were eating dinner when the man barged in.
"Upat mi nangaon apil ang dos anyos nga anak ni Vivian. Abre ang pultahan mao nga nakasulod siya ako dayon ang iyang giuna og tigbas sa tangkugo (The four of us were having dinner, including Vivian's two-year-old son. The door was open and he went in. He hacked me first on the nape)," Sordilla said.
The victim said Mario is the brother of their purok leader, Mariano Sigue, whom he had a quarrel five months ago.
According to Sordilla, Mariano died and was buried last week.
The dead man's relatives believe he put a hex on Mariano and blamed him for the death.
The victim said the dispute with Mariano started when he consulted the purok leader on the problem of garbage in the canals.
According to Sordilla, Mariano just shrugged his shoulders and said he cannot solve the issue. He then told Mariano: "Unsang klaseng purok leader nga way mahimo sa problema sa lugar (What kind of purok leader are you if you cannot solve the problems in our community)."
Sordilla said a week after, Mariano hit him but he did not fight back. After several months, Mariano fell ill and died.
"Ako ang gipasanginlan kay ako lagi daw'ng gibarang kay nidako man ang tiyan ato. Akong giingnan ang ilang amahan nga wa ko kabalo ana, pero kung gusto mo, naa ko'y kaila nga makamao motambal adto ta sa Polomolok, wala man sila patuo (They blamed me that I put a curse on the victim because his stomach became bloated. I told them, I had nothing to do with his illness. I also told them I know somebody in Polomolok who might be able to help him but they did not believe me)," Sordilla said.
After hacking him, the suspect hacked Benilan on the head and chest, killing her on the spot. Saromines was hit in the thumb as she struggled to hide her son.
The Talomo police are conducting further investigation on the case and have launched a manhunt operation against the suspect. (RCO)
