TWO siblings died while their parents were in critical condition after a 25-year-old man stabbed them inside their house in Sitio Iba, Barangay Basak, Lapu-Lapu City Friday morning.
The suspect, identified by police as Jamil Picate Ibra, also known as Taosi, allegedly attacked the Muslim family around 10:30 a.m.
He also died from several stab wounds, which he likely sustained while he and tricycle driver Camad Cabugatan, 43, fought, homicide investigators said.
Cabagutan suffered several stab wounds, as did his wife Samsia, 38.
Their son Jamaludin, 15, and daughter Norjata, 10, died in the Mactan Doctors Hospital, said Insp. Zenaido Pastorfide, chief of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Homicide Section.
In an interview, Pastorfide said they have yet to find out what led Ibra to attack the family.
An investigation revealed that the suspect barged into the house and stabbed Norjata, who was standing by the door.
He stabbed Samsia, who was cleaning the house, and then went inside a room and stabbed Jamaludin, who was sleeping.
He then attacked Cabugatan, who fought back.
The couple was brought to the Mactan Doctors Hospital along with their children.
Norjata was pronounced dead on arrival while Jamaludin died an hour after.
The suspect was brought to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City. PO2 Angelo Abella of the Marigondon Police Station said that Ibra was pronounced dead on arrival.
Investigators from the Marigondon Police Station recovered an 11-inch kitchen knife from the crime scene.
Sammy, 45, brother of Cabugatan, said he was clueless what the motive of the attack was.
“Sa pagkakaalam ko walang rason. Hindi naman palaaway ang kapatid ko (My brother didn’t pick fights),” he told Sun.Star Cebu in a phone interview.
Supt. Armando Radoc, acting chief of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office, said they will look into a report that Cabugatan and Ibra had a prior conflict.
Pastorfide said they received a report that the suspect served jail time for illegal possession of firearm. One of Ibra’s parents is a Muslim while the other is a Christian.
“Posible nga nag-amok ni siya (It’s possible he ran amuck),” Pastorfide said.
PO2 Angelo Abella of the Marigondon Police Station said it is possible neighbors and relatives of the victims also mauled Ibra.
The siblings were to be buried last night in a Muslim cemetery in Barangay Guba, Cebu City.
Jamaludin was the eldest of nine siblings, while Norjata was the fourth. (It was not known whether all of their seven siblings were at home at the time of the assault.)
Sammy, Cabugatan’s brother, said he and other relatives are looking after the couple and their children.