A PASSENGER electric bicycle (e-bike) driver was found dead on Bascon Street, Barangay Dumlog, Talisay City, Cebu around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, February 8, 2023.

The fatality was identified as Germelino Callao, 43, who hailed from Negros Oriental but temporarily resided in Sitio Bahala, Barangay Dumlog.

The victim was lifeless when members of Talisay Rescue Emergency Team arrived.

Based on the findings of the Scene of the Crime Operatives (Soco), Callao succumbed to bruises in different parts of the body.

According to Callao’s live-in partner Marie Briones, the victim and another e-bike rider named Linda arrived at their house on Tuesday evening, February 7, asking her to let Linda stay there as she was beaten by her husband.

Briones complied with their request.

But Callao woke her up around 2 a.m. of the following day to let her know that Linda wanted to go home and that he would accompany her.

She said the husband of Linda, who was allegedly bringing a hard object, went to their house asking for his wife’s whereabouts.

Briones said she only learned about the incident from her neighbors.

Meanwhile, Callao’s alleged attacker, 43-year-old Julieto Jaranilla, turned himself in to Talisay City Police Station, a few hours after the murder.

Jaranilla admitted that he struck the victim with an iron umbrella stand after spotting them together.

He added the victim was still able to fight back.

The suspect revealed that he learned three months ago that his wife and the victim had a relationship.

Lieutenant Colonel Randy Caballes, chief of the Talisay City Police Station, said in an interview with SunStar Cebu that “love triangle” was the motive of the crime.

"Nasakpan man daw niya nga nagkuyog iyang kapuyo sa biktima. Iyang gibunalag tubo," Caballes said.

(According to him, he saw his live-in partner along with the victim, thus hitting the latter with a pipe.)

There were reports that the victim experienced cardiac arrest during the attack.

Caballes said they recommended that the victim undergo an autopsy to ascertain the real cause of his death because they did not think that the umbrella stand could have killed the victim.

The suspect will be facing a homicide case. (BBT, GPL/TPT)