Man found dead in hut; another stabbed by drunk

CEBU, Philippines - A man, believed to be mentally ill, was found dead inside his house in the mountain barangay of Toong, Cebu City yesterday.

Ursula Gabutay, 54, found her son, Charlie, 29, lifeless and drenched in his own blood at 6am yesterday. Gabutay lives a few kilometers from Charlie’s house.

Investigation showed that Charlie sustained a lone puncture wound on his left torso and gunshot wounds on both his legs.

“Naa siyay dako nga bangag sa iyang kilid,” said SPO2 Rey Cuyos of the Homicide Section of the Cebu City Police Office.

Investigators recovered a bullet shell from an unidentified firearm, which reportedly entered one of Charlie’s legs and excited from the other. The victim said to have died due to loss of blood.

A certain Tita Abastas who lives a few kilometers from Charlie’s house said she heard five successive gun bursts coming from the victim’s house around 9pm last Tuesday. She, however, reported the matter to the police only past 5am the following day.

Gabutay said her son was reportedly mentally ill and was considered by some residents of the barangay as a thief.

“Daghan pud naglagot sa biktima kay gidudahan man siya nga mangawat sa ilang lugar,” Cuyos said.

Ursula said he fell off a mango tree when he was a child and the fall reportedly affected his thinking.

Gabutay lived alone in a hut where he was found, away from the rest of the community.

The victim’s remains now lie at the St. Francis Funeral Homes.In a separate incident, Romeo Arquisala, 41, of S. Osmeña Street, Cebu City was stabbed by certain Kenneth Baylon yesterday dawn.

According to Arquisala’s sister Carolina, Romeo was on his way to buy bread at a nearby bakery when he met Baylon. The latter, who reportedly appeared drunk at that time, allegedly pushed Arquisala against a wall and asked for a cigarette.

Scared, the victim ran and got a hold of a knife in an attempt to scare Baylon away. But the tactic did not work and Baylon instead struggled with Arquisala for the knife. When he finally got hold of it, Baylon stabbed the victim on the waist and immediately fled the area.

The victim was rushed to Cebu City Memorial Medical Center where he is currently recuperating.  (FREEMAN)