Couple engaged in lending trade slain in Benguet

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — A couple engaged in the lending business in Baguio City and in this capital town of Benguet were gunned down in front of their adopted children here last Monday night, the police said.

Chief Inspector Jesse Perez, La Trinidad police chief, said Coslito Sabado, 54, and his wife, Pastora, 40, sustained multiple gunshot wounds from a caliber .38 revolver and died before reaching the hospital.

Nothing was taken from the victims, prompting the police to suspect that a personal grudge or a business-related motive was behind their killing and that they knew their assailants.

Perez said the Sabados were actually lending money at 20 percent interest.

The police said Mrs. Sabado, together with their adopted nine-year-old son and six-year-old daughter, was at the first floor of their residence in Barangay Alapang here, while her husband was watching TV at the second floor when the tragedy happened.

When the Sabados’ children reportedly went to the comfort room outside their house, three armed men barged in and shot Mrs. Sabado.

One of the gunmen, according to the police, then went up to the second floor, dragged Sabado downstairs and peppered him with bullets in front of the two children. The attackers left the children unharmed. — Artemio Dumlao