Cops: Manhunt for killers of Dalaguete couple continues

A 48-year-old uncle and his 25-year-old nephew are being hunted by the police after they were tagged as the suspects in the killing of a couple and the wounding of the latter’s daughter during a robbery on Monday in Barangay Langkas, Dalaguete town in southern Cebu.

Chief Insp. Roland Aliser, Dalaguete Police Station chief, said in a phone interview that a manhunt operation was ongoing against the suspects, Antonio Jabagat and his nephew, Alejandro Jabagat, who remained at large as of press time.

The suspects, who are the victims’ neighbors, were identified by the 12-year-old daughter, who managed to escape a stabbing attack despite being wounded in the face at past 8 p.m. on Monday inside the couple’s house, said Aliser.

The couple, Servando and Maria Grace, were found dead with stab wounds in their bodies, by responding barangay tanods, whom the daughter approached for help.

Aliser said that he was coordinating with the police stations in Cebu province since he believed that the suspects were hiding and still in the province.

“Sige pa ta og pangita ani nila. Alert napud ang laing mga police stations,” said Aliser.

Aliser said that the motive of the killings was robbery since a sling bag owned by the couple containing cash and valuables with an estimated worth of P80,000 was missing.

PO2 Brycel Ricaborda of Dalaguete Police Station said the daughter told them that suspects arrived at their house at past 8 p.m. and she heard them asking money from their parents.

A few minutes later, the daughter said that the next thing she heard was the scream of her mother, which prompted her to rush to where they were.

She then found her father sprawled on the floor and the suspects stabbing her mother.

The suspects then stabbed her (the daughter) but her mother, who was still alive, fought the attackers, which gave her time to escape and seek the help of their neighbors.

Ricaborda said that the daughter was wounded in the face while Servando died from the stab wound on his neck while Maria Grace died from the stab wound on her stomach.