2 teen brothers admit killing doctor

MANILA, Philippines - The two teenage brothers tagged in the killing of a pediatrician, whose body was dumped in the septic tank of his home in San Mateo, Rizal, have reportedly owned up to the crime, police said yesterday.

The suspects, who are 17 and 13 years old, told police that anger drove them to kill Jesus Comedida, 60, last week.

“They said the victim would hurl invectives at them even for the slightest mistake. They verbally admitted killing him,” San Mateo police chief Superintendent Ruben Piquero said.

The suspects were arrested by members of the San Mateo and Masbate police in Monreal, Masbate at around 1:45 a.m. on Saturday.

They did not resist when police officers collared them in their hideout in Barangay MacArthur.

Police said they have yet to ask the suspects about the victim’s missing laptop computers and mobile phones.

Rizal police chief Senior Superintendent Bernabe Balba ordered Piquero to take the statements of the suspects in the presence of a lawyer.

Balba said the suspects were traced through a report card submitted by the elder brother to the Gulod Malaya Elementary School, where he is a Grade 7 student.

The victim, who was earlier reported to have “adopted” the elder brother, was paying for the school expenses of the suspect.

Comedida was found in the septic tank of his house in Bancom Subdivision in Barangay Gulod Malaya on Oct. 18.

His relatives reported him missing after his clients informed them that he had not reported to his clinic.

The two suspects were detained at the San Mateo police jail as authorities were preparing the filing of appropriate charges against them.