Son accused of killing elderly parents in Bogo City

A septuagenarian couple was found dead inside their house in Barangay Cogon, Bogo City past 6 a.m. on Tuesday, August 10, 2021. | Photo courtesy of Bogo City Police Station

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – Policemen are urging relatives of a couple in Bogo City to be the ones to file a parricide complaint against their own son, who is believed to be behind their death on Tuesday, August 10.

Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Balao Ed Aniway Jr., said that in the absence of a complainant, the police will be forced to proceed with the filing of a parricide charge against suspect Joseph Nuñez, 43, since the killing of his parents can be considered a public crime or an act or behavior that is considered to interfere with the normal flow of society.

The bodies of Virgilio, 76, and Angela, 75, were found early on Tuesday morning, August 10, inside their shanty in Barangay Cogon.

Police investigation showed that Angela died from a blunt head trauma secondary to fall while Virgilio was believed to have died of cardiac arrest.

Aniway suspects that Angela may have been hit with a hard object on her head which caused her immediate death.

“Malamang yung ama nakita yung commotion ng asawa niya at yung anak, nakita na sinaktan yung asawa niya, dun siya siguro inatake,” he said.

(Maybe the father saw the commotion, maybe he saw his son hurting his wife that is why he had a heart attack.)

Aniway said that there investigation is now focused on the possibility that Joseph, who is said to be suffering from a mental illness, may have caused the death of his parents.

The three share their shanty in Barangay Cogon. And on Monday night, barangay tanods visited their home to pacify Joseph, who was said to have engaged in an argument with his parents.

At about 6 a.m. the next day, a tanod who happened to pass by the Nuñez residence, discovered the lifeless bodies of Virgilio and Angela who were both lying on the floor.  Joseph was sitting beside his parent’s body.

The tanod, Aniway said, saw the bodies since the door of their shanty was left open.

Police Staff Sergeant Leliano Pepito Jr., who is handling the case, said that Joseph was mum during his arrest.  The suspect is now in detention.

As of this writing, Aniway said that they continue to convince relatives to act as complainants in the filing of a parricide complaint against Joseph. / dcb