IN HAPPIER times, Richard Fhidel Suico II and his neighbor Ralph Randy Tieman often drank beer and sang their favorite songs.
But their friendship turned sour and met a violent end in Barangay Basak Pardo, Cebu City last Monday night.
Suico, 38, allegedly stabbed Tieman and hit the latter’s one-year-old son.
Tieman, 39, survived the attack despite suffering wounds in the neck and left arm. But his son Ryurik Edbert Liao did not survive his wound in the upper right arm.
Cause of death
Homicide investigator SPO2 Rommel Bancog said Ryurik was rushed to St. Anthony Mother and Child Hospital in Basak San Nicolas by Jessa Misa, but the attending doctor declared the boy dead on arrival.
“Heavy loss of blood may have caused the boy’s death,” said Bancog in Cebuano.
He said they will file complaints of homicide and frustrated homicide against Suico before the prosecutor’s office.
Neighbors rushed Tieman to Chong Hua Hospital. He was in stable condition yesterday, according to his live-in partner Donna in a phone interview.
When interviewed by reporters at the Pardo Police Station, Suico blamed Tieman for Ryurik’s death. (The boy is Tieman’s seventh child with his partner, who is reportedly pregnant.)
“Iyaha gyud nang sala kay gidala man sa amoa (He was at fault for bringing his son),” he said. “Gitaming niya ang bata (He used the boy as his cover).”
Suico said he lost his respect for Tieman because the latter often turned unruly when drunk.
The estranged friends are unemployed.
Before the incident happened at 8:30 p.m., Tieman said he was cuddling his son outside his house when Suico confronted him over their past problems.
They argued.
Suico later pulled out a knife tucked in his waistband and stabbed the victims, according to the report prepared by Crimes against Person Unit of the Cebu City Police Office.
Police and tanods caught Suico and recovered the knife from him.
The suspect, however, offered a different version of the incident.
Suico said Tieman opened the gate to his residence and went inside.
Tieman, who was holding Ryurik in his arms, was allegedly drunk. He then allegedly berated the suspect.
Suico said he forced Tieman to get off his property.
Tieman allegedly kicked the suspect’s right leg, which was injured during a motorcycle crash in 2011 and is supported by a metal brace.
“Siyempre wala na koy laing choice. Mao to nga nahitabo gyud tong di angayng mahitabo kay iya na man kong gipasakitan (I had no choice. Something that was not supposed to happen happened because he hurt me),” said Suico.
The suspect pulled out a nine-inch long knife and stabbed Tieman thrice.
He said he did not intend to stab Ryurik, but he lost his balance and hit the boy.
“Dili sa ingon nga wala ko magmahay kanang naamong lang gyud ko sa iyang kabuang sad ba (I am not saying I do not regret what I did, but I got into the mess because of his foolishness),” said Suico.
After he was hit, Tieman placed his son on the ground and walked away. He thought Ryurik was unharmed.
Suico left.
Tieman’s other son picked Ryurik up and gave him to his sister.
Misa, who was Ryurik’s babysitter, grabbed the boy, who was not crying.
After she noticed the wound, Misa and Ryurik’s relatives rushed the boy to the hospital. Donna was at work that time.
The incident caused panic among their neighbors.
A neighbor, who refused to be identified, said the suspect was involved in other homicide-related crimes. Suico denied the allegation.
Last December, Suico said Tieman hurled stones at his house four times.
The suspect also accused Tieman of threatening to kill him last January.
“Wa ko kahibawo unsay hinungdan anang awaya namo uy, siya ra may nangitag bikil nako (I don’t know what caused our rift),” he said.