Fighting cock kills Laguna resident

SAN PEDRO, Laguna — Hell hath a fighting cock’s fury.

A sentensyador (cockfight referee) in a fund-raising derby here was killed when one of the gamefowls attacked him, its tari — a blade attached to the cock’s feet — piercing his chest and left armpit.

Doctors at the Jose Amante Clinic said the blade cut through the heart of 47-year-old Arnel Torres and severed a vein, causing his death.

Felix Remolacio, chairman of Barangay San Roque, said the "freak accident" occurred during a cockfight meant to raise funds for a deceased resident.

Remolacio said Torres noticed that the fighting cock’s tari had loosened and attempted to fix it. But the cock instead attacked him.

Because of what happened, Torres’ relatives meted the "death sentence" on the "killer cock," chopping it into pieces.