Life for man who beheaded scavenger

A Cebu City judge has convicted a man who beheaded a scavenger at the Inayawan dumpsite four years ago.

Edgardo Abangan was found guilty of murder and was meted the penalty of reclusion perpetua or 20 to 40 years of imprisonment.

He was also ordered to pay the heirs of the victim P50,000 in civil indemnity, P50,000 in moral damages, and P25,000 in temperate damages.

Abangan was linked by witnesses to the gruesome killing of a scavenger Gaudioso dela Cruz on Jan. 21, 2010.

Although no one saw the actual killing, Judge Ma. Lynna Adviento of the Regional Trial Court Branch 58 in Cebu City took into consideration the circumstances leading to the crime.

Witnesses said the victim had a drinking session with friends when Abangan arrived.

They said Abangan told Dela Cruz’s friends to go home because he’s going to kill the victim.

Another witness claimed to have seen Abangan carrying what appeared to be a coconut on the night of Jan. 21, 2010. The following day, she learned that someone was beaheaded.

The witness concluded that what Abangan brought was actually the head of the victim.

When he took the witness stand, Abangan denied the allegations.

He said he was just at home in barangay Inayawan, Cebu City when the victim was killed.

But the court wasn’t inclined at believing Abangan’s claim.

“The accused’s defense of alibi is so weak that it cannot stand on its own feet. On the contrary, it only strengthened the prosecution’s theory that he killed Gaudioso,” Judge Adviento said in her ruling.

“In sum, the court is convinced, which moral certainty, of the culpability of Edgardo of the crime charged,” she added.