Man kills kids, mother-in-law

CEBU, Philippines - A man stabbed dead his three children and his mother-in-law before taking his own life, past 1 p.m. yesterday in Sitio Manlayag, Barangay Panalipan, Catmon town.

Eric Figues, 27, allegedly killed Stephanne Molat Figues, six, who was celebrating her birthday yesterday; John Eric Molat Figues, four; Erica Lynn Molat Figues, one year old; and his mother-in-law Emilda Enad Molat, 47, by stabbing with an 11-inch long knife.  The only survivor of the incident was his father-in-law Josepher Molat, 58.

PO2 Vergilito Debulosan of the Catmon police station said that Josepher told him that he and Emilda were preparing lunch to celebrate Stephanie’s birthday before the incident happened.

As they were setting up the table were preparing the table they heard Eric shouted inside the house “pasayloa ko pa ug ma” and they were alarmed by this.

They immediately went to the suspect’s house nearby to check what happened, they tried to open the door but it was locked.

They forcibly opened the door thinking that something happened to the children who were inside the house.

When they managed to open the door, Emilda entered the house first and asked Eric what the matter was, but she was suddenly stabbed by the suspect.

He also tried to stab Josepher but his father-in-law was able to parry the attack and escape to call for help. By the time he returned with others the suspect had stabbed himself with the knife. They also found the children already dead.

Debulosan said that Eric’s neighbors saw him crying before he stabbed himself. He added they received the stabbing alarm through Panalipan Barangay Captain Marlon Rule.

A doctor at the Juan B. Dosado Memorial Hospital said the suspect’s children sustained multiple stab wounds.  

“Ang mga bata tanan naay fatal stab wound sa multiple parts of the body. Naay sa dughan, naa sa likod, ug sa atubangan puros fatal wounds,” the physician said.

The suspect’ mother-in-law sustained multiple stab injuries in her left and right chest, and in her shoulders and back.

Ang adult nga female naay samad sa sa left ug right nga chest ug multiple stab wound sa back,sa shoulder ug sa buko-buko,” the physician added.

Eric stabbed himself in the right side of his abdomen and also had seven lacerations in his front chest, a stab wound in his neck and lacerations in his left wrist.

Debulosan said that the victim’s mother was not around when his husband killed their children because she was working in Lapu-Lapu City.

He said that they need to ask the Eric’s wife for the background of the suspect. Police have no motive yet behind the killing. —/BRP (FREEMAN)