Cop shoots man who went amok at a wake

CEBU, Philippines - A man was killed by a police officer after he held hostage a 21-year-old girl in Barangay Paril, a mountain barangay in Cebu City yesterday morning.

Police Officer 1 Junray Tagalog had no choice but to shoot Erickson Malate, 28, down after he sensed that Jemarie Lanza, 20, was in danger.

Tagalog said he saw Malate stabbing Lanza using a broken glass in her body as he held her by the hand inside the victim’s house.

But before the incident Malate is said to be in a stabbing spree. He is said to have stabbed four persons prior to the hostage drama that lasted for almost an hour. 

Senior Police Officer 4 Alex Dacua, homicide investigator of the Cebu City Police Office, said that the suspect was at the wake of the victim’s father who died on Wednesday.

“Daghang tawo sa balay sa biktima kay namatay ang iya papa sa miaging adlaw ug ilang mga relatives nibisita sa ilaha,” he said.

Around 9:00 a.m. yesterday, the suspect had gone wild and broke a bottle of bear and started to shout while holding a flower vase.

Salome Erana, 56, who was at the living room, was hit in the head by the suspect using a flower vase.

Isidro Wagas, 71, tried to stop Malate but the suspect stabbed him with a broken flower vase. He sustained several wounds on his stomach and bruises on his hands.

The victim’s elder brother Leo Lanza tried to help Wagas but he was also hit by a flower vase and sustained injuries on his hand when the suspect bit his right arm.

And then the suspect held the victim hostage for 30 minutes.

“Gikuptan siya unya gidala sa usa ka kwarto. Gigunitan pa gyud iyang liog,” he said.

Although Malate did not demand anything but he kept on stabbing the victim so Tagalog shot him that led to his death.

Malate used to be an assistant fighting cock handler of the victim’s father, George who had just died due to heart attack.

The victims were brought to North General Hospital for immediate treatment.  (FREEMAN)