Bothered by his conscience, Chinese Cemetery shooting suspect ‘surrenders’

Manuel Ylaya is behind bars after he “surrendered” to authorities a day after killing his cousin and a still unidentified male individual inside the Chinese Cemetery in Barangay Carreta on Wednesday, June 16. |

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Saying he was ‘bothered by his conscience’, the suspect in the shooting to death of two men inside the Chinese Cemetery in Barangay Caretta on Wednesday, surrendered to the Mabolo police on Thursday night, June 17.

Manuel Ylaya, 24, was named by one of the victims, Richard Tunacao, as the one who shot him and another individual on Wednesday, June 16. Tunacao, the suspect’s cousin, died the next day.

Police Executive Master Sergeant Antonio Din, the investigator of the case, said Tunacao was the one who told them that Ylaya was behind the shooting of him and another male individual who remained unidentified up to this posting.

Din said the shooting incident inside the Chinese Cemetery happened at around 4:00 a.m on Wednesday, June 16. He added that the unidentified victim who died on the spot was reportedly a native of Bohol province.

READ: Police on the hunt for suspect in Carreta shooting

Din, however, clarified that the suspect did not surrender but was arrested during a hot pursuit operation on Thursday night, June 17.

“Kahapon, nag conduct atong personnel og hot pursuit, nadakpan ni siya (suspect) sulod sa minteryo. Ang storya man gud didto nga musurrender kuno human nga naabtan, maong gidakop siya…Pero iyang storya, musurrender gyud sya,” Din said.

Based on their interrogation, Ylaya said that he gunned down his cousin, Tunacao, because of extreme jealousy as he believed that the victim was having an affair with his live-in partner.

Tunacao and the unidentified victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds in their bodies resulting in the instantaneous death of the latter.

Ylaya, for his part, said that he was not aware that Tunacao had a companion, at that time. He added that before the incident, he and Tunacao had a drinking spree outside the cemetery.

Ylaya said that he suspected that his cousin also had plans of killing him that was why he did it first.

“Ang katong usa, wala ko kaila ato. Ang akoang nailhan si Richard ra…Sige nako og duda nila (live-in partner and Tunacao), unya naabot ang time (June 16) nga nakainom ming duha mao to nga akong hunahuna gi advance nalang nako, gi una nako,” Ylaya said.

(I do not know about the identity of the other victim. I only know Richard. I have been suspecting that he and my live-in partner were having an affair. Until that time when we had a drinking spree and there I thought of killing him first.)

Din said it was impossible that Ylaya was not aware that Tunacao was with somebody else when he started shooting his cousin.

Din added that they are still verifying the suspect’s claims that he was just released from prison. He said that they also received information that Ylaya and Tunacao were engaged in illegal drug activities as both were alleged drug users.

The case investigator also revealed that they were not able to recover the firearm used in the twin murders when they arrested Ylaya. The suspect reportedly claimed that he threw the firearm right after shooting the victims. As to where exactly, Ylaya could no longer remember.

Ylaya also asked for forgiveness from the relatives of the victims. He is currently detained in Mabolo Police Station waiting for the filing of appropriate charges.

READ: Cebu City shooting incidents: 2 men, 1 woman killed in 14 hours