Five killed, 2 wounded in Capiz hacking incident

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — A family of three and a three-year-old girl died after their neighbor attacked them with a talibong, a local sword-like bolo, Wednesday afternoon at Barangay Tanza Norte in Panay town of Capiz.

The victims were identified as Concepcion Celino, 70; her 31-year-old daughter Ramilyn Labto; Ramilyn’s daughter, Gerra Isabelle; and 3-year-old Hanna Fel Aguiling.

The suspect, 60-year-old Nestor Beldia, was also killed after he also attacked responding policemen. Police Officer 2 Alimonsurin shot Beldia after he struck policemen twice with his bolo.

Senior Inspector Ruby Magallanes, Panay Police chief, said one of the responding policemen was hit on the stomach, but it was the bolo's blunt side that hit him thus causing no lacerated injury.

The attack also wounded Thelma Dadivas, 72; and Prince Cyril Celino, 8. They are now treated at the Roxas Memorial Provincial Hospital in Roxas City.

According to reports, the suspect came from his farm to cut weeds. He appeared to be "spaced out" or stupefied, and without provocation barged into the Celino-Labto house around 3:30 p.m. of Wednesday.

Another neighbor saw Beldia attacking Concepcion, Prince Cyril, Ramilyn and Gerra Isabelle. He even shouted at the assailant in a bid to stop him, but the latter turned his ire on the neighbor and ran after him.

When he failed to reach the neighbor, he attacked instead Dadivas and the 3-year-old girl, who were just walking on the road.

A team of three policemen initially responded, followed by several others who tried to negotiate for the suspect’s surrender, but he refused and attacked the authorities instead. The policeman had no choice but to shoot Beldia, hitting the latter on the arm, through and through his body.

Beldia was taken to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival. The victims were rushed to the Health Centrum Hospital, but Concepcion and Ramily were declared DOA, while Gerra Isabelle died while being treated.

By early morning of Thursday, Magallanes said they were informed that the 3-year-old girl had also died at the hospital.

Beldia’s family asserted that the suspect was not mentally-ill. He was reportedly seeing an internal medicine physician for a still undisclosed ailment. Lately, however, they claimed that Beldia, a furniture maker, was observed to have sleepless nights.

“Other than that, the family claimed they did not notice anything unusual,” Magallanes said. With Beldia now dead, Magallanes said they would still conduct an investigation to ascertain what triggered him to attack the six victims.