Hunger made me kill, murder suspect says

Manila, Philippines - One of the eight arrested suspects in the murder of a Chinese factory owner in Valenzuela City last week admitted yesterday of committing the crime due to hunger.

Edgardo Sabandal Jr., 21, a stay-in worker of Cosang Plastic Manufacturing at 9 Sigma street, Don Pablo Subdivision in Barangay Rincon, confessed to hammering to death factory owner Jeffrey Ong.

“We were so hungry for several days we only have noodles to eat. So we planned to rob our boss to buy food and so that we could already go home to our respective provinces,” Sabandal told The STAR in an interview in his cell.

Sabandal said that he and co-worker Reagan Arboneda were armed with a bolo when they ransacked the room of Ong on the afternoon of June 9 and took away an undetermined amount of money.

He said Ong arrived at the factory onboard his motorcycle as they were about to leave, and hit him in the head as he entered the gate and they dragged him inside the factory where Arboneda allegedly slit the victim’s throat with a bolo and hit him again with a hammer in the head.

“Our boss would know what we did, so Reagan and I decided to silent him,” Sabandal said.

Sabandal said that Arboneda gave him P10,000 before they escaped separately.

SPO3 Jess Sagisi said that on June 1, Ong told the workers that the factory would already ceased operations. The workers reportedly asked the victim for “fare assistance” but were turned down. They were also told to leave the factory and were no longer given any assistance since then.

Police arrested Sabandal, an 18-year-old boy Joel; Jerry Sabandal Jr., 21; Nelson Sabandal, 20; Ryan Fernandez, 24, and Wilson Dait, 32, in Southern Leyte while Michael Andres was arrested in Davao City.

They were brought back to Valenzuela City on June 15.

Isagani Sobretudo, 20, who was first to be arrested in Caloocan City on June 12, helped the police in tracking down the suspects. Arboneda remains at large.

Chief Inspector Danilo Bugay, Valenzuela City police intelligence and investigation chief, said that all the suspects would be charged with murder for Ong’s killing saying they “conspired” in committing the crime.