ASIPULO, Ifugao – Two people, including a 5-year old child, died while nine others were injured after a bolo-wielding man went on a hacking spree at barangay Amduntog, here, Wednesday afternoon.
Police authorities said that those who died included the suspect who sustained gunshot wounds and the 5-year old child who sustained multiple hack wounds.
Initially, the suspect went to the house of Tomas Tayaban and asked for drinking water but for still unknown reasons, he hit a certain Michael Tukal with a piece of hard wood then approached Tayaban who was carrying his nephew Hasan Kitong and hacked the two.
The suspect then proceeded to sitio Halulug and chanced upon Esperanza Tadao, Jenarize Dinamling and Melanie Tahin who were washing ginger and still for unknown reasons hacked the three individuals.
Further, the suspect then went to the barangay hall of Amduntog and hacked barangay chairman Aldrick G. Hagada and his companions Jocelyn Tognaon, Viana Tognaon and Franz Joe Tognaon who were on duty at the said place.
The suspect then went to the Asipulo Central School and chanced upon Austin Espiritu who was on his way home after his class and hacked him.
The suspect was about to approach Letty Monayao but fortunately, Police Staff Sergeant Jet B. Galiom arrived and told him to stop but he proceeded to hack the former promoting the police officer to shoot him on his right thigh purposely to neutralize him.
However, the suspect turned to him and was about to hack him that forced the police officer to fire another shot on him.
The victims and the suspect were rushed to the various hospitals in Ifugao and nearby Nueva Vizcaya for medical treatment but the suspect and the 5-year old child died while undergoing treatment for the wounds that they sustained.
The suspect is said to be suffering from mental issues after he was able to serve his sentence on earlier charges of murder that were filed against him.
Probers are still conducting an investigation on the said incident that raised concern among the residents in the said place. By Dexter A. see