PIDIGAN, Abra – A 65-year old farmer died after he was hacked on the head by a 52-year old farmer along a dried up creek near their farms at sitio Banay, barangay Manggoc, here, Tuesday.
Senior Superintendent Antonio Bartolome, provincial director of the Abra Provincial Police Office, identified the victim as Valeriano Asuncion Laureta, 65, married, farmer while he named the suspect as Romulo Callejo Palino, 52, married, both resident of Sitio Banay, Barangay Monggoc, Pidigan, Abra.
Initial police investigation showed that the victim went to his farm and drove the stray cows of the suspect because his plants were being destroyed.
The suspect and his wife saw how the victim drove away their cows prompting the former to confront the victim until they decided to go to a nearby dried up creek to talk things over.
Upon arrival in the area, the victim attacked the suspect with a bolo which the latter was able to parry until the occurrence of a commotion that allowed the suspect to grab the bolo and hack the victim on his head.
It was learned that the two had a misunderstanding when the victim’s cows reportedly destroyed the tobacco plants of the suspect.
Responding police operatives were able to rush the victim to the Abra Provincial Hospital for medical treatment but he was declared dead on arrival because of a fatal hack wound while the suspect voluntarily surrendered to the local police force for the filing of charges against him.
By Dexter A. See