A 49-YEAR-OLD man was stabbed to death in Barangay Mantuyong, Mandaue City at dawn Monday, August 21, 2023.
The police identified the victim as Roger Perez, 49, a resident of Barangay Guinsay, Danao City.
The suspect in the stabbing incident was Jeffrey Tan, 31, resident of Barangay Mantuyong.
The police eyed revenge as one of the motives for the stabbing.
Police Major Andy Michael Roque, Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) Station 1 officer-in-charge, said that according to a witness, Perez was drinking with his friends along the road around 2:10 a.m. when Tan allegedly approached and stabbed the victim multiple times using a knife.
Perez was rushed to the nearby hospital, but was declared dead, after sustaining fatal wounds in his chest, arms and hands.
Police nabbed Tan 11 hours after the incident through a follow-up operation on Monday.
Tan was later identified as the victim’s former neighbor in Barangay Mantuyong.
Roque said Tan tried to hide at Tabok Cemetery before hiding in his friend’s house.
“We are thankful to all our law enforcement agencies, the community, and his family for his immediate arrest,” Roque said.
Roque said the suspect confessed that he planned to kill the victim to avenge his father, who the suspect claimed, was killed by Perez years ago.
The incident was not reported to the police as Tan said they feared Perez back then.
The suspect added that when they were both working as butchers in a slaughterhouse in Mandaue, Perez hit him whenever the victim got drunk.
Police said Perez was arrested for a drug case in 2016. He was a surrenderer of Oplan Tokhang against illegal drugs.
Tan is currently detained at the MCPO Station 1. He will be facing a murder charge, as the police continue to gather statements from the witnesses to back the murder case.
Roque said they are also still deciding whether or not to charge Tan’s friend with possible obstruction of justice for helping Tan hide. (HIC)