Foul odor leads to ‘rugby dealer’

CEBU, Philippines - The decomposing body of a homosexual was found under the Mahiga Bridge in Barangay Banilad, Cebu City last Wednesday night.

Police believed that the victim, identified only as Dianne, was stabbed to death by a scavenger last week.

Investigators from the Mabolo Police Station found the victim at around 8 p.m. last Wednesday. He was already in an advanced stage of decomposition.

Police received reports that the victim is an illegal solvent seller and was often approached by kids to sniff drugs.

The suspect, identified as 19-year-old Crisanto Abarquez, admitted killing the victim.

A witness revealed that around dawn of Friday last week , he saw Abarquez talking to the victim before stabbing him repeatedly.

The witness added that after stabbing the victim, Abarquez immediately sought help from four other youngsters to hide the dead body.

But the victim’s corpse was eventually uncovered after some residents in the area complained of a foul odor coming from under the bridge. By the time the police recovered the body, Abarquez had already fled.

The witness revealed that they were not able to report the matter to the police after he and his friends were allegedly threatened by the suspect.

“Giingnan mi tanan nga basta mosulti mo tanan, pamatyon tamong tagsa-tagsa” (We were all told that if we report the incident, he will kill all of us one-by-one,) the witness said.

At around 10 p.m. last Wednesday, police were able to intercept the suspect along Archbishop Reyes Street where Abarquez immediately surrendered upon noticing police presence.

Abarquez claimed that while he was asleep, he heard his 14-year-old sister screaming for help.

Upon checking, he saw the victim allegedly stepping on his sister. The victim was allegedly trying to stab the suspect’s sister with a piece of sharp metal.

To defend his sister, Abarquez attacked the victim and stabbed him with a knife which he always kept close.

Abarquez claimed that he kept a knife after his father allegedly raped his younger sister two weeks ago.

But while Abarquez admitted the crime, he expressed regret that he committed it.

“Naghilak ko’g taman pagkahuman, unya nahadlok ko. Nagmahay man ko pero unsaon man nako nga ako man nang sala, angay sad nakong bayran (I cried so hard after the incident and I got scared. I regret what I did but what can I do? It’s my fault and I have to pay for that.)” he added.

Insp. Gualberto Fuentes of the Mabolo Police Station told reporters that Abarquez was previously arrested for sniffing an illegal solvent known as rugby.  (FREEMAN)