Farmer killed by neighbors in bolo duel in Dalaguete

A farmer was killed by two of his neighbors, who stabbed him with a jungle bolo during a bolo duel last Saturday afternoon, in an upland barangay in Dalaguete town in southern Cebu.

Camelo Cartilla, 46, died of multiple stab wounds in his stomach after his neighbors, Bartolome Ybañez Sr., 56, and his son, Gabriel, attacked him after an argument over a personal grudge, escalated into a fistfight and a bolo duel, in Sitio Regla, Barangay Salug, which is 15 kilometers from the Dalaguete town proper.

PO2 Arnel Calisang, investigator of Dalaguete Police, told Cebu Daily News in a phone interview yesterday that Cartilla and Bartolome had an argument which ended in a fistfight.

After the fistfight, both farmers armed themselves with bolos and ended up in a bolo duel.

Flordelina Cartilla, Carmelo’s wife, told Calisang that her husband was pinned by the Bartolome and was stabbed repeatedly.

Flordelina said that her husband, however, managed to fight back by punching Bartolome on the head, forcing Bartolome to let go of Carmelo and the bolo he was holding.

Flordelina said it was at this instance that Gabriel joined the fray, picked up the bolo that his father dropped and stabbed Carmelo.

“Mao pay pagtindog sa biktima, nitabang iyang anak. Gikuha ang pinute unya gidunggab sa tiyan si Cartilla (The victim managed to stand up after hitting Bartolome, but, his son went to aid Bartolome. Gabriel took the bolo and stabbed the victim again in the stomach),” said Calisang.

Neighbors, who saw Gabriel attack Carmelo too, grabbed the bolo from Gabriel, who ran to escape his angry neighbors.

Bartolome, however, also suffered stab wounds during the fight and was brought to the hospital for treatment, where he was arrested by police.

Carmelo, who was also rushed to the hospital did not reach it alive.