Guilt-stricken ‘hitman’ surrenders to Tumulak

Self-confessed hitman, Dong, answers questions from the media after he personally met his supposed victim, Maria, inside the office of Councilor Tumulak yesterday. CDN PHOTO/MOREXETTE MARIE ERRAM

One self-confessed hitman voluntarily giving himself up to authorities is, according to local police, a positive step towards solving murder cases which happened in Cebu City.

This is what the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) hoped to accomplish after a hired killer, only referred to as ‘Dong’ surrendered before Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak on Monday.

But Dong, 31, was only presented to the media yesterday so as not to preempt follow-up investigations by the police.

“We would want to know who are the persons he killed or hired him. It will be a stepping stone to solve cases of those who are killed as well as the possible masterminds of these cases,” CCPO director Senior Supt. Joel Doria said in a press briefing yesterday.

Doria said that their office’s Investigation Detective Management Branch will have custody of Dong and verify any information they can get from him.

However, he added that they may seek help from the Cebu City Prosecutors Office to determine whether or not ‘Dong’ will qualify as a witness since he has confessed to the murders he apparently committed.

Meanwhile, Dong told reporters that he was hired to kill a 55 year-old cosmetics distributor, only referred to as ‘Maria’, and her 21 year-old daughter, both residing in Cebu City, by Maria’s own nephew for P60,000.

But he said guilt prevented him from pursuing his mission when he saw Maria’s picture and realized his target looks like his mom.

“Pero pagkakita nako sa picture sa biktima, parehas man sila og nawong sa akong mama. Mao to nga nakonsensiya ko og patay. Apil iyang anak. Wala man silay gibuhat nga di maayo. Ang nagsugo gani nako kay adik. Gusto niya patyon iyang iyaan kay maoy gababag sa iyang sustento pang-shabu,” Dong said.  (When I saw the victim’s picture, her face resembles that of my mother. That’s when I felt guilty killing her and her daughter. They did not do anything wrong. The one who hired me was a drug addict. He wanted to kill her aunt because she was the one who makes sure that he won’t get any money to buy shabu).

Dong and Maria met yesterday inside Tumulak’s office and the latter immediately gave Dong a tight hug as a way of thanking him for changing his mind.

Dong also admitted having killed more than 10 individuals whom he described as criminals, since he was 21. But he refused to give additional details about his victims.

“Nisulod ra ko aning kalaki tungod sa kawad-on (I entered into this kind of job due to poverty),” he added.