Moonwalk murders: Suspect admits killing wife, son over text message

MANILA, Philippines - Danilo Rafael Sr., the main suspect in the killing of his wife and son, whose bodies were found in the trunk of their family car in Moonwalk Subdivision, Parañaque City, admitted yesterday that a text message triggered an argument that drove him to shoot them.

“I want my wife and son given a decent burial,” Rafael said as his reason for leaving the family car near his mother-in-law’s house on Saturday night. He was presented to Parañaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez yesterday morning.

Rafael was arrested in Tugue­garao, Cagayan Tuesday afternoon following a tip from a concerned citizen who saw the suspect’s photo flashed on television.

Unplanned

Rafael, 55, said he never planned to kill his wife Fe, 54, and 18-year-old son Danilo Jr., but his jealousy drove him to do it. He asked his family for forgiveness.

He said they went to their house in Barangay Babacao in Maragondon, Cavite prior to attending a family reunion. He said she received a text message he suspected was from her lover.

Rafael said he suspected his wife of having an affair since 2012, but refused to elaborate. There are reports that the text message came from his brother-in-law.

He said that on Friday night, he confronted his wife about the text message, she began shouting and attacking him. He said he tried to pacify her by covering her mouth, but his son suddenly entered their room with a knife.

“I grabbed my pistol and shot my son,” he said. Rafael said he then turned to his wife and shot her in the head, killing her on the spot.

Rafael said when he saw his son convulsing in pain on the floor, he placed a pillow on his son’s face and shot him several times. “I did not recall how many times I shot him,” he said.

According to Rafael, he brought the bodies to Parañaque so that someone would attend to their burial since there was no one to do so in Cavite. Rafael then left the area and wandered in Pasay City, where he boarded a bus bound for Tuguegarao.

Rafael underwent inquest proceedings at the Parañaque prosecutor’s office yesterday.