Man kills neighbor over jackfruit tree

CEBU, Philippines- The Office of the Cebu City Prosecutor indicted a 61-year-old man for allegedly killing his neighbor over a jackfruit tree.

 Prosecutor III Noel Cellona held Alfredo Marikit for trial after finding probable cause of homicide.

 Marikit was initially sued for murder but Cellona downgraded the offense to homicide for lack of circumstance that would qualify the killing to murder.

 “…that based on the statement of the witnesses as well as the evidence presented, there is reasonable ground that a case for homicide has been committed and that accused is probably guilty thereof,” the document read.

Marikit allegedly stabbed his neighbor, Josefino Doño, in his abdomen using a bolo near the house of the accused around 5 p.m. on August 16.

 A female witness, who was six meters from the crime scene during the incident, testified that she saw Marikit and Doño having a heated argument over a branch of the victim’s jackfruit tree which the accused demanded to be cut off since it was covering his flowering plants.

 Doño reportedly rejected the demand of Marikit and said he wanted to taste the jackfruit from his tree which was already bearing with fruits.

 The witness said Marikit walked away and went to his house. The accused returned and was already armed with a sharp bolo in his right hand which prompted the witness to run away in fear.

 The witness said he saw Marikit whose clothes were already stained with blood. He also said that at that time, the accused was holding a hand grenade and a cell phone.

 The witness confronted Marikit for killing their neighbor but the latter reportedly answered he was forced to kill Doño and that it was not intentional.

 After which, the witness reportedly heard the accused talking to someone over the phone and quoted him saying, “nakadisgrasya ko diri kuhaa ko ninyo diris Bowao.”

 The witness ran back to her house while Marikit casually walked away.

Doño’s wife, Jovita, said when she learned about what happened to her husband, she and her son hurriedly proceeded to the crime scene and saw the victim lying on the ground, bathed in his own blood.

 They immediately brought Doño to a private hospital but he was declared dead on arrival.  

 In an inquest proceeding, Marikit invoked his right to preliminary investigation but was not able to submit a counter affidavit to answer the allegations against him within the period given to him.

 Hence, Cellona resolved to elevate the case to the Regional Trial Court and recommended P40,000 bail for the temporary liberty of Marikit.  (FREEMAN)