Teen killed in Manila cemetery on Halloween

MANILA, Philippines - A 17-year-old boy who was collecting melted candles at the Manila North Cemetery was beaten and stabbed by four alleged members of a street gang Sunday night.

Manila Police District homicide section chief Inspector Armando Macaraeg said John Kelvin Dinglasan’s killers were allegedly “M-Town” teenage gang members, who reportedly live in the cemetery and lord it over a group of transients there.

Macaraeg said Dinglasan and his friends were reportedly collecting melted candles at the North Cemetery as people started to gather to observe All Saints’ Day when they were attacked at around 11 p.m. Though his friends were able to run away, Dinglasan was caught by the gang members, who took turns beating and stabbing him. They left him to die of two stab wounds and the injuries he suffered from the beating, police said.

Ferdie Pamintuan, one of Dinglasan’s companions, reportedly shouted for help and called the attention of the barangay officials at a nearby Bantay Bayan outpost. But when authorities responded the four attackers were already gone.

Meanwhile, the Manila Police District has heightened its security at the Manila North Cemetery following the violence the other night.

The North Cemetery is under the jurisdiction of Sta. Cruz police station chief Superintendent James Afalla, who reportedly failed to conduct saturation drives in the area, a security measure usually employed as All Saints’ Day approaches to flush out criminals and undesirables living in the cemetery.   – With Sandy Araneta