3 siblings hacked dead in Laguna

MANILA, Philippines - Police arrested a suspect and invited five others for questioning for last Thursday’s killing of three children aged nine to 14, the eldest of whom fought off a rape attempt, in Alaminos, Laguna.

Senior Superintendent Manolito Labador, Laguna police director, said the suspect, Rhegan Laguidao, 22, had a pending warrant of arrest for murder and grave threats and was listed as the most wanted man in Sto. Tomas, Batangas.

Labador said Laguidao was roaming around aimlessly near the victims’ house in Barangay San Ildefonso, Alaminos town when responding lawmen collared him.

Labador refused to name the five others invited for questioning for the killing of Cristina Rafael, 14; and her brothers, Jason, 12, and Jerome, nine.

Investigation showed that the victims’ parents left their house for a drinking spree and videoke singing with their neighbors at around 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

They arrived home at 11 p.m. and found the bodies of their children, who all bore hack wounds.

Their youngest child, Johnmil, six, was unharmed and was sound asleep.

Labador rushed to the crime scene and personally supervised the scene of the crime operatives there.

Police recovered a piece of bloodstained slipper at the crime scene.

Labador created a special task group headed by Superintendent Noel Alonzo to work for the early solution of the case.

He said they have a witness in custody who said that the three children were killed after a failed attempt to rape Cristina, a first-year high school student. – With Ed Amoroso and Arnell Ozaeta