Members of the Scene of the Crime Operatives (Soco) retrieve the lifeless body of Cecilio Dabuco, a 50-year-old farmer in Brgy. Pung-ol Sibugay, Cebu City who was shot dead by still unidentified suspects. | via Paul Lauro
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Police are now investigating the killing of a farmer in a mountain barangay in Cebu City who was accused of slaying cows.
The victim was identified as Cecilio Dabuco. The 50-year-old man was found dead on a grassy slope on his farm in Barangay Pung-ol Sibugay around 7 a.m. on Tuesday, July 25.
His sister, Cirila Dabuco, told CDN Digital in an interview that Cecilio went to his farm on Monday afternoon, July 24. However, he failed to return home last night. She also reportedly heard three gunshots being fired around 10 p.m. on Monday but did not bother to check.
The family sought assistance from the barangay to search for Cecilio that day but the bad weather forced them to postpone their search to Tuesday.
On Tuesday morning, Cecilio’s wife then visited their farm where she found her husband dead with a gunshot wound on his chest.
She reported her discovery to Pung-ol Sibugay’s Barangay Captain, Jerson Cadampog, who revealed that last Sunday, they received reports that Cecilio had been accused of killing other farmers’ cows.
According to Cadampog, a farmer approached and told him that his cow died after its neck got caught in the rope last Sunday. The farmer, however, believed that somebody had butchered his cow, the village chieftain added.
“Naay niduul nako nga konstituente dinhe sa barangay, nangayo og tabang nga iyaha kuno laging baka… Naghikog pero sa iyahang side sa tag-iya sa baka wa kuno daw maghikog,” said Cadampog.
“Nangutana ko kinsa iyahang nasuspekan dinha ug mao na ang biktima nato run. Usa sad sa pirmerong ingon niya nako, ikatulo na ning namatay nga baka,” he added.
However, the complainant did not file a formal report to the barangay. Nevertheless, Cadampog informally summoned Cecilio around 10 a.m. last Sunday to shed light on the allegations, which he vehemently denied.
The victim even told the barangay captain that should people continue to blame him for the deaths of their cows, he will file cases against them for their ‘baseless accusations’, said Cadampog.
While police continue to investigate Dabuco’s death, Cadampog urged his constituents not to resort to violence in resolving conflicts. /rcg
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