POLICE killed a man who stabbed four people including the 21-year-old woman he held hostage yesterday morning in barangay Paril, a mountain barangay in Cebu City.
The reason why Erickson Malate went on a rampage at the wake of his employer is not known, but PO1 Junray Tagalog believed he could have been under the influence of illegal drugs.
Tagalog responded when Malate, 28, held Jemarie Lanza against her will inside her house after stabbing her brother and two neighbors.
Malate had worked for Lanza’s father, who died from a heart attack a few days ago. It was at the wake when Malate started breaking beer bottles and stabbed Salome Erana, 56; Isidro Wagas, 71, and Leo Lanza, Jemarie’s older brother.
The policeman from the Talamban police station received the call for help at about 10 a.m. When he arrived at Lanza’s house, he saw Malate holding the girl hostage.
Tagalog tried to persuade Malate to surrender, but Malate instead stabbed Lanza several times with the broken bottle, prompting Tagalog to shoot him.
“Daghan tawo sa balay sa biktima kay namatay ang iya papa sa miaging adlaw ug ilang mga relatives nibisita sa ilaha,” said SPO4 Alex Dacua, investigator of homicide section of Cebu City Police Office (CCPO). (There were many people in the house because relatives came to visit for the father’s wake.)
The wounded victims were rushed to the North General Hospital.
“Mura siguro to sya og nakatama kay kalit man lang nanunggab kutob sa iyang nakit-an,” said Tagalog. (It’s possible he had just sniffed illegal drugs because he stabbed whoever was in his way.)
Dacua said initially, Malate was just shouting, he took hold of a flower vase which he used to bash the head of Erana who was sitting in the living room.
Erana is a relative of Jemari’s father, Compostela. Wagas, 71, who was with Erana, tried to pacify Malate but he was also stabbed in the stomach instead.
Leo tried to help Wagas but he was hit by Malate who also bit his right arm.
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