Murder case will be filed against garbage collector who stabbed friend

Dennis Lagana Escarilla is carried off by authorities after being stabbed to death ny a fellow garbage collector in Arellano Street in Barangay Tinago, Cebu City. | Gerard Francisco

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The garbage collector who stabbed to death his colleague while fighting over scrap metals at Barangay Tinago in Cebu City on Wednesday morning, January 29, 2020, will be facing murder charges.

Police Major Joemar Pomarejos, the chief of the Waterfront Police Station, said that Roy Alafonzo, 40, will be charged with murder in court for allegedly stabbing to death Dennis Escarilla, 32.

It will now be the decision of the prosecutor if the charges will be downgraded to homicide since the killing was instigated by a heated argument.

Pomarejos said that the police will file the murder case as Alafonzo was caught shortly after the incident.

Police Corporal Marlito Portugueza, the main investigator of the case, told CDN Digital, the two garbage collectors have been friends for a long time. They were, in fact, partners in collecting scraps to sell in junk shops.

Along with their trade, Escarillo and Alafonzo bickered regularly in the past years and they may have harbored negative feelings with each other.

Yet Wednesday’s violent altercation was a first for the two friends, who regularly fought over profit from their trade.

“Gisapot si Alafonzo guro sa ilang lalis, mao na gidunggab niya kaduha. (Alafonzo may have lost patience in their argument so he stabbed Escarillo twice),” said Portugueza.

The investigator also said it was easy to catch Alafonzo as he was hampered by a foot injury making it difficult for him to run when he tried to flee from the crime scene.

Alafonzo is currently detained at the Waterfront Police Station waiting for the filing of the case.  /rcg