Girl, 8, sees neighbor hack her mother dead

An eight-year-old girl was witness to the gruesome murder of her mother who, while cooking food for dinner in their kitchen, was hacked to death by their neighbor in sitio Riverside, barangay Hagnaya, San Remegio, last Saturday evening.

The victim, Lirma Castro, 40, suffered multiple wounds from her head to her feet, with her fingers cut off and arms broken, as she tried to shield herself from the attack by her neighbor, identified as Rogelio Rosatasi.

Town police investigator, SPO1 Eufrosino Aguisanda, said the assailant was already armed with a bolo when he entered Castro's house.

An altercation between Castro and Rosatasi ensued and, shortly after, Castro was already vainly parrying the attacks of Rosatasi while her daughter was watching them, said the police.

"Nakabantay ang biktima pagtigbas unya gisagang mao nga nasamad ang duha ka bukton, nidagan ang biktima sa gawas apan gigukod kini og gitiwasan hangtod nga namatay," Aguisanda said.

As Castro fell dead, her assailant quickly fled from the scene, police said a murder case will be filed against the suspect for his eventual arrest.

Further investigations disclosed that Castro and Rosatasi had a long-standing grudge when Castro accused the latter of stealing her goat. Last July 19, Rosatasi allegedly beat up Castro's 19-year-old son Rex who reportedly had a mental disorder. - Gregg M. Rubio