CAMP DIEGO SILANG, San Fernando City, La Union – The father and his three sons who were involved in the killing of five relatives and wounding of three others in Barangay Capas, Agoo, La Union on Tuesday were arrested by police operatives early Thursday in Barangay Dulong Bayan, San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.
Chief Inspector Artemio Infante, Agoo Police Chief, said the suspects Eduardo Gayo, 65, his sons Demetrio, 42, Noel, and Ferdinand will be charged with multiple murder and frustrated murder.
The suspects killed five of their relatives: Reynaldo Refuerzo 30, and his 3-year old daughter Mary Anne, Gil Cabilitazan and Zosimo Fontanilla, and Gilberto Cecilio, 41 after they went on a shooting and hacking spree due to a family feud.
Seriously wounded in the incident are three other relatives Gilmar Cabilitazan, Rodel Refuerzo, and Benjie Tabunia who were all confined at the Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center in San Fernando City.
Infante said the casualties and the injured victims suffered fatal shots, and hack and stab wounds on the different parts of their heads and bodies.
Investigation showed that the victims were having a drinking spree along the road when the suspects arrived and Demetrio challenged them to a fight. Suddenly, his son Noel started shooting the victims one by one with caliber .45 followed by the other suspects by stabbing and hacking successively.
The suspects immediately fled towards a mountainous trail in the area and went on hiding.
The arrested suspects will be facing charges of multiple murder and multiple serious physical injuries before the La Union provincial prosecutor’s office once the police shall have completed their investigation.
The arrested suspects are now temporarily detained at the Agoo Municipal Jail awaiting the decision of the prosecutor’s office on the charges against them prior to their turnover to the La Union Provincial jail.