Parricide and frustrated murder complaints to be filed vs ambushed woman's husband

CEBU, Philippines - The Mandaue City Police is set to file complaints for parricide and frustrated murder today against 45-year-old Diego Sagaad for the shooting of his wife, Melonie Sagaad and her live-in partner Armando Yrog-Yrog.

There was information that a suspicious man was keeping an eye on Melonie at the gasoline station where she worked as a cashier but the police are bent on pinning the crime on Diego.

Police said Melonie filed a case for shoplifting against a man whom she caught inside the grocery store of the gasoline station several weeks ago.

But Insp. Ramil Morpos, homicide chief, said a witness surfaced yesterday saying he saw Diego standing in Sitio Bohol-Bohol, Barangay Looc where Melonie and Armando were shot.

“He acted as if waiting for somebody at the place where the incident happened,” Morpos said in Cebuano.

Melonie and Yrog-Yrog were on board a Yamaha Vega motorcycle when shot by two men on board a Honda XRM Friday evening.

Yrog-Yrog was shot in the head and is confined at the Don Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City. Melonie died on the spot from her multiple gunshot wounds.

Morpos said it was only Diego who was identified by the witness. He was arrested in a follow-up operation at the Queensland motel in Talisay City.

Diego’s son also testified that his father called him two weeks ago and threatened to kill their mother and her liver-in partner when he sees them.

Diego denied the allegations. The former couple separated for 11 years now.

Diego admitted he kept an eye on his wife when he learned of her affair with another man. He saw them together in Mandaue City.

“Nganong ako man nga kung duna pa ko’y plano dugay ra unta 11 na gud katuig ang nilabay,” he told The FREEMAN. (If it was me, I would have done it 11 years ago.)

He admitted he was using drugs when Melonie left him.

“Pero wala gyud ko kadapat ana akong asawa bisan kausa wa ko kahibalo nganong ingon ana siya nako,” he said. (I never raised a hand on her, I don’t know why she did this to me.)

Diego, who is detained at the Opao Police Station, said he will face the case because he is innocent. — (FREEMAN)