Slain brgy. chief’s kin: Love affair angle not true

THE family of slain Hagnaya barangay captain Jerry Cabahug took exception to reports from the police that jealousy triggered the crime.

In a letter sent to Cebu Daily News, Marichu Escalona, niece of Cabahug said, “he (Cabahug) was a happily married man, a family man, a son, a brother, a friend and public servant who was well-respected and taken way before his time by a crazed lunatic,” Escalona added.

Hagnaya police earlier claimed that Cabahug’s assailant, Sitoy Singangote was jealous over rumors that his live-in partner was having an affair with the barangay captain.

PO1 Jeffrey Lequin said that was their initial finding but further investigation revealed that the suspect was jealous not of the barangay captain but of another man.

“That the suspect was jealous of the barangay captain was our initial suspicion because those were the revelations of the residents but upon investigation, the suspect was jealous of another man, not the barangay captain,” Lequin said in Cebuano.

Lequin, investigator of San Remigio Police told Cebu Daily News  that Jerry Cabahug had no involvement with Ruth Tillor, the suspect’s live-in partner.

He said that Tillor actually had filed a complaint before the barangay that she received death threats from the Sinangote , who she accused of using illegal drugs. Cabahug had scheduled a hearing between the two.

“Maybe that was what triggered the suspect to stab the barangay captain. Because the night before, the girl had filed a complaint, which was entered in the blotter that Singangote threated to kill her, that is why the barangay captain scheduled a hearing to settle the matter,” he said in Cebuano.

According to Lequin, Tillor had a confrontation with suspect inside the house of Veronica Sambajon, where they serve as caretakers. Sinangote purportedly got jealous and accused her of having an affair and pointed a knife at her.

No meeting happened as Sinangote, who was allegedly high on drugs, stabbed the barangay captain.