Scavenger indicted for murder

CEBU, Philippines - A keeper of fish traps who doubled as scavenger has been indicted for murder in the regional trial court for the brutal killing of a man in Talisay City last February 22.

The murder case against Erlindo Pelayo, 40, was filed after his common-law wife, Amy Deberpe, attested that he allegedly told her that he had killed a man who until now remains unidentified, after finding him catching fish in one of his fish traps.

Deberpe said Pelayo, armed with a bolo, ran after the man at around 12:15 in the morning at sitio Kalinao I, San Rafael, Tanke, Talisay City, and later on admitted that he had stabbed him for refusing to stay away from the fish traps, his means of livelihood aside from scavenging.

She also said that Pelayo had told her that he had left the body in a fish trap and had theorized that it had been washed away by big waves.

PO3 Mikie Espina and PO2 Stephen Sefuesca, who were on duty on the morning of February 22 at the Talisay Police office, issued a joint affidavit attesting that they got a call from someone at 7 in the morning talking about finding a dead body.

When the body was inspected, the victim’s right arm was severed, his neck slashed, and his head was almost falling off his neck.

Both his ears were also cut off and his head and right leg showed hack wounds.

The body was then taken to the St. Francis Funeral Homes.

The two officers said they found the right hand of the man two days after at the seashores of Galaxy, Tangke, Talisay City, Cebu.— AJ de la Torre   (FREEMAN NEWS)