‘Cult leader’ pleads not guilty to murder charges

CEBU, Philippines - “Not guilty.”

This was the plea of Casiano Apduhan alias Tatay Boy during his arraignment yesterday before the Regional Trial Court in Toledo City for allegedly killing a 15-year-old boy in 2012.

Apduhan, an alleged leader of a religious cult, denied killing Angelo Repuela.

Repuela was allegedly killed in 2012 and buried down a 30-foot tunnel under the residence of Apduhan in Sitio Laray III, Barangay Buanoy, Balamban, according to the child’s parents Eleuterio and Remegia.

The Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s Office charged Apduhan for murder after finding probable cause.

Aside from Apduhan, state prosecutors also indicted Victor Fajardo and Zacarias Barquio, both followers of Apduhan, for murder and for conspiracy. Fajardo and Barquio are both at-large.

Eleuterio, a resident of Alpaco, Naga City, Cebu, alleged that sometime in 2011, Apduhan, whom they called as “Tatay Boy” or “Dios Amahan”, came to their place and warned his family that the world was coming to an end and no one would be spared but those who would follow him.

He said they lived in Barangay Buanoy and served Apduhan by plowing fields, his wife did the household chores, and his son, Angelo, worked as a storekeeper.

Sometime in November 2012, Angelo died.

Repuela said his wife Remegia did not actually saw how their son was died because she was cooking dinner at that time but saw Apduhan, Fajardo and Barquio before their son’s death.

Repuela said he was told that his son was offered as “padugo” for the pot of gold and that he would rise from the dead by 2013. They served Apduhan the whole year of 2013 allegedly without compensation while waiting for their “son’s resurrection and the predicted apocalypse.” 

Apduhan denied killing Angelo.  He said Angelo was sick when he was brought to the villa.

He also denied he has knowledge of Anglo’s death and knew he was buried under his house because he was reportedly in Negros at that time.

Meanwhile, Judge Ruben Altubar of Branch 29 rescheduled the summary hearing for the application for bail filed by Apduhan instead of yesterday to February 2, 2015. He said the parents of Angelo, Vice-governor Agnes Magpale, and Rey Villordon of NBI-7 will testify on February 2.

Apduhan was earlier arraigned for human trafficking and pleaded not guilty. He was accused of forced labor based on accounts of Angelo’s parents.

Apduhan was also charged for serious illegal detention for detaining Emma Nepomuceno and illegal possession of firearms before the court. The said cases are under trial. (FREEMAN)