A farmer, who was allegedly hacked, was found dead inside a nipa hut in Barangay Pamutan, Cebu City on Tuesday afternoon, November 7, 2023. | Paul Lauro
CEBU CITY, Philippines – The body of a farmer, who was believed to have been hacked, was found by his uncle inside a nipa hut in a mountainous area in Barangay Pamutan, Cebu City on Tuesday afternoon, November 7, 2023.
The victim was identified as 42-year-old Eugene Pabonita Mabano, a farmer, and a resident of Sitio Cabatbatan in Pamutan.
Police Major Keneth Paul Albotra, chief of Guadalupe Police Station, told CDN Digital that they received a call about a dead person alarm from the barangay captain at around 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
After receiving the alarm, responding officers immediately headed to the scene to verify the report and found the victim already dead inside the hut used as a resting place by the farmer.
He also said that the body was initially discovered by the victim’s uncle, Emmanuel Mabano, who immediately asked for assistance from the barangay.
Initial investigation showed that the witness was visiting his own farm located next to the victim’s farm when he decided to check up on his nephew after not seeing him at the farm like he always did.
Wondering where his nephew was, the witness proceeded to call out the victim’s name and went inside the hut when he failed to get an answer.
However, he was shocked when he entered and saw the body of the victim lying on his own blood in supine position. He also noticed that his face was cracked.
The police report showed that Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) also arrived at the scene and conducted a technical investigation and examination.
HACKING?
The victim’s body will be subjected to an autopsy to determine the cause of death, stated the police chief.
According to Albotra, they initially received a report about an alleged shooting incident.
However, upon assessing the crime scene and finding no bullet shells, they believe that the victim was hacked using a sharp weapon which lead to his death on the evening of Monday, November 6.
The report also revealed that the victim’s wife, Rebecca Mabano, told police that they always slept overnight inside the nipa hut but she was not there at the time of the incident. The wife said that she went to their home on Tuesday morning because she had a fever.
The farmer had a habit of sleeping in the hut overnight because he was watching over the farm after some previous robbing incidents, according to Albotra.
Albotra also disclosed that they are eyeing personal grudge as the motive behind the killing after finding out that the victim once had a disagreement with someone.
He said that they will be reaching out to the person that the victim had a fight with to determine if the person is involved in the crime.
Police will continue to investigate the case to apprehend the suspect responsible for the farmer’s death, added Albotra.
/bmjo
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