Police cordon the area where a man was stabbed in Zone 7, Barangay Mantuyong, Mandaue City on Monday dawn, August 21. CDN Digital photo | Paul Lauro
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu — His thirst for revenge may have prompted former butcher Jeffery Tan to kill Roger Perez at around 2 a.m. on Monday, August 21, 2023, near the barangay hall in Mantuyong, Mandaue City.
READ: Mandaue stabbing claims life of 49-year-old man
Tan, 31, was arrested while hiding in Barangay Tabok, also in Mandaue City, shortly after noontime on Monday, or just a few hours after he stabbed Perez to death, according to Police Major Andy Michael Roque, chief of the Centro Police Station of the Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO).
Both men used to work as butchers in Barangay Mantuyong.
Roque said they arrested Tan during a follow up operation. They received word that he was hiding in a friend’s house in Barangay Tabok after he asked some relatives for money for his food while he was in hiding.
Tan is currently detained at the detention facility of the Centro Police Station while police prepare for the filing of a murder case against him.
Revenge for stabbing father?
“Sa atoang pag-imbestigar, ang motibo personal grudge. Before kuno niya gidunggab ang biktima iya kuno giingnan nga ‘nakalimot naka nako?’,” said Roque.
(Based on our investigation, the motive is personal grudge. Before he stabbed the victim, he allegedly asked him, ‘Do you remember me?’)
According to Roque they received information that Perez, 49, allegedly stabbed Tan’s father 23 years ago.
Christian Demape, a cousin of Perez, said that Tan, who was only eight years old then, saw Perez stab his father on the neck.
Tan’s father survived the stabbing, but he would later die due to a heart attack.
Demape said that Perez also told Tan then to “grow up fast, because I’ll wait for you.”
CCTV footage of Mandaue stabbing
Perez, who is a native of Barangay Mantuyong, is currently staying in Barangay Guinsay, Danao City in northern Cebu.
He returned to Barangay Mantuyong on Sunday to wait for the scheduled hearing of a case that was earlier filed against him. But Roque was uncertain what the case was about.
According to Demape, Perez was arrested earlier for a drug-related case.
Tan allegedly stabbed Perez while they were drinking liquor with some men in Barangay Mantuyong as shown in the CCTV footage that police obtained from Barangay Mantuyong personnel.
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/dcb, bmjo