STEPHANNE Nicole Molad Figues’ sixth birthday celebration yesterday turned into a nightmare after her father, Eric, killed her, her two younger siblings and their grandmother in sitio Manlayag, barangay Panalipan, Catmon northern Cebu.
Stephanne Nicole, 6, John Eric, 4, and Erica Lynn, one year and 10-months-old, were found inside their room lying in a pool of their own blood.
The children’s grandmother, Emilda Molad, 47, was also stabbed to death after she pushed open the door which Eric had locked. Emilda’s husband Josepher, 58, managed to run before Eric could stab him.
PO2 Vircelito Debulosan said that the grandparents were preparing lunch for Stephanne Nicole’s birthday when they heard Eric shouting, “Ma, Pa, pasayloa ko ninyo!” (Ma, Pa, please forgive me!)
Alarmed, the couple rushed to Eric’s house to check what was happening.
Josepher told the police that his wife Emilda even asked Eric at first about the kids.
“More or less two meters ra ni ang gilay-on sa ilahang balay. Pag-abot nila ngadto ila abrehan ang pultahan pero naka-lock sa sulod so mao to nga gitabangan nilag doot ang pultahan. Pag-abre gipugngan pa siya ni Eric musulod pero wa nipatoo si kining si Emilda maong gidunggab siya,” said Debulosan. (Their house is only two to three meters away. The door to Eric’s house was locked so they pushed it. Eric tried to prevent them from going inside but Emilda insisted, then she was stabbed.)
After running to ask for help, Josepher went back, but it was already too late.
Witnesses saw Eric crying inside the house and shouted again his please asking for forgiveness. He then stabbed himself dead.
Eric’s wife, the children’s mother, was away working at the Mactan Export Processing Zone in Lapulapu City.
Authorities are still at a loss on why Eric killed his children and mother-in-law before stabbing himself.
“Basi sa atong na-interview, but-an mani si Eric. Gikan pa gani ni siya og Talisay. Didto gyod siya nagpuyo ug karon nagtrabaho as construction worker (Based on our interviews, people say Eric was a good man. He works as construction worker in Talisay),” said Debulosan.
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