‘Mentally ill’ man who killed brother faces homicide raps

CEBU, Philippines - A 22-year-old man believed to be mentally ill was indicted for homicide for killing his elder brother in Sitio Nivel Hills, Barangay Busay, Cebu City.

City prosecutor Aurora Peñaflor found probable cause and held Cedric Arnejo for trial for homicide.

“…accused, armed with a knife, with intent to kill, stabbed Jonathan Arnejo, (23 years old), hitting on his neck and thereby inflicting upon him stab wound, which caused his death,” the charge sheet read.

Peñaflor recommended P40,000 bail for Cedric’s temporary liberty.

The brothers’ parents, Manolito and Lucena Arnejo, alleged that they were having videoke late in the morning on July 26 at their residence together with Ahem Bacarisa, girlfriend of their other son Trifon, when Cedric woke up and stopped the music.

Lucena soon restarted the videoke while asking Cedric why he stopped it.

Cedric then went outside and sat on a plastic stall.

Bacarisa followed outside to wash some face towels and later rushed back inside while shouting that Cedric was bringing knives.

Lucena advised her son to put down the knives but the latter did not listen and instead attacked them. Lucena parried the knives using her sling bag, but she was still hit in the left side of her body.

Cedric also stabbed his father Manolito and hit him in the right side of his body.

The couple said their daughter Leslie awakened their brother Jonathan, who was sleeping inside his room. Jonathan went out but was suddenly stabbed on the neck by Cedric.

Policemen responded and tried to negotiate with the suspect, but the latter refused to put down the knives as well as a steel pipe he was holding.

Personnel of Special Weapon and Tactics (SWAT) team arrived and arrested the suspect and recovered from him the weapons.  The victims were brought to the hospital but Jonathan died a few hours later.

Meanwhile, the couple opted not to file frustrated parricide charges against their son.— (FREEMAN)