While on board: Ship's engineer tagged in killing of subordinate

CEBU, Philippines - A chief engineer of a ship was jailed by the police for allegedly killing his subordinate while the vessel was traversing the waters off Antique province, from Palawan on her way to Iloilo City last Tuesday.

The co-workers of the suspect, Nestor Partisala, 58, of Brgy. Barasan in Pototan, Iloilo, could not also make out what drove him into attacking the victim, Severino Villono, 64, of San Jose, Oriental Mindoro.

Villono, the ship's maintenance engineer, and Partisala were both working at the M/V Maria Isabel of Montenegro Lines.

According to Chief Insp. Alexander Rosales, chief of Iloilo City Police Station 2, Partisala went to Villono's quarters early morning that day and, without a word, struck a metal pipe on the sleeping Villono and then stabbed the victim with a bolo. Villono succumbed to injuries on his chest.

Rosales said the two's co-workers attested that there was no prior argument between Partisala and Villono. "They (co-workers) surmised that Partisala might have suffered from nervous breakdown," he added.

Partisala is now detained at La Paz Police Station while the management of Montenegro Lines has yet to issue an official statement on the incident.