Drunk man randomly stabs teen

By Jennifer P. Rendon

A teenage boy was injured when he was randomly attacked by a 40-year-old late evening of March 23 at Banate, Iloilo.

Jerome Gomez, 19, a construction worker, from Sitio Insayawan, Barangay dela Paz, Banate, suffered a stab wound on his stomach.

He was rushed to Gov. Niel Tupaz District Hospital in Barotac Viejo for treatment.

Lieutenant Dandy Ilalto, Banate Police chief, said Gomez is now in stable condition.

But the suspect, Edwin Arante of Sitio Insayawan, dela Paz village, remains at large as of this writing.

Prior to the stabbing episode, Arante went for a drinking spree at the house of a barangay kagawad.

When he had one too many and began acting unruly, he was asked to leave the place.

The kagawad’s son even escorted Arante home.

Instead of calling it a night, the suspect went out of their house around 11:20 p.m.

He allegedly passed by a store that was renting a WiFi connection.

Outside the store, Gomez was lying on a bench while playing a mobile game.

Without a word, Arante suddenly plunged a knife into Gomez.

The victim managed to get up and asked for help.

Ilalto said Arante fled to the mountainous portion of dela Paz.

The suspect was also accused of shooting an engineer in Dumangas, he added.