Minor, who stabbed dead store owner faces charges

CEBU, Philippines – The minor who voluntarily surrendered to the Department of Social Welfare and Development-7 after killing a storeowner in Sitio Highway, Barangay Basak-San Nicolas is now facing charges before the court.

Prosecutor Aurora Peñaflor conducted the inquest proceedings for the complaint and affirmed the 16-year-old respondent has voluntarily surrendered to DSWD. The case against him is also set to be forwarded to court.

It was Rosalio Ando, chief tanod of Barangay Basak-San Nicolas, who received information that the young man was the one who stabbed store owner Ernesto Ceballos Ricablanca, 43, last Sunday noon.

Ricablanca died due to a stab wound on the chest.

Ando and some other officials of Basak-San Nicolas then went to DSWD to verify the information and there, they learned from the boy himself that it was not his intention to kill Ricablanca nor was it true that he robbed the victim before running away.

The boy said he went to Ricablanca's store to buy a pair of slippers worth P30, but Ricablanca allegedly refused to give the change to his P500.

The boy alleged Ricablanca tried to choke him, but he managed to free himself and ran home, only to return to the store with a 12-inch knife.

Still, Ricablanca allegedly refused to give his change and pointed a finger to his forehead, which irked the boy and made him stab the victim on the chest.

The boy said he ran to Quiot, Pardo where he met a nun who helped him after he confessed to her what he did. The nun reportedly handed him P600 and advised him to surrender to DSWD.

But Ando said that they are not certain as to who actually brought the boy to DSWD nor did they identify the nun mentioned by the boy.

Ricablanca's store is estimated to be 50 meters away from the house where the accused lived with his aunt while his father and mother were in Talisay City selling toys. (FREEMAN)