Four massacre victims laid to rest, kin-suspect asks forgiveness

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

 

BACOLOD City – The lone suspect in the murder of four persons in Barangay Tangub here last week, asked for forgiveness after he executed an extrajudicial confession at Police Station 8 here on the day that the victims were also laid to rest last Saturday.

Christian Don Tulot, 39, narrated in front of the police and the media and in the presence of a lawyer the events that transpired on April 4, the day when he allegedly killed his four relatives inside their house in Gardenville Subdivision here.

The decomposing bodies of Jocelyn Espinosa-Nombre, 59; her sister Gemma Espinosa, 69; their nephew John Michael Espinosa, 35; and his six-year-old daughter were discovered at their residence three days after the crime was committed.

The grisly scene was discovered after Nombre’s husband sought the help of his sister to check his wife as he could not reach her for three days.

Based on the extrajudicial confession, Tulot said that he left the victims’ house around 5 a.m. on April 4 and was supposed to go to Don Salvador Benedicto, Negros Occidental on board his motorcycle.

However, he returned to the victims’ residence when he noticed that he left his motor pump while he was already at the area of Pandanon.

Tulot said that when he returned to the victims’ house, he saw John Michael drinking liquor inside a hut, and he joined the latter.

Tulot also claimed that they sniffed shabu or crystal meth while drinking liquor.

He then asked John Michael to pay him P10,000 as he needed the money. It was learned that the latter owed the suspect P35,000.

Tulot also said that he told John Michael that he had no reason not to pay him because his wife is working abroad.

Tulot said John Michael left their drinking session and went to his room to get the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card to withdraw the money.

The suspect followed John Michael, but the latter took a cane cutter or espading from the terrace and allegedly attacked the suspect.

But Tulot said that he was able to subdue John Michael and tripped the latter’s feet until he fell to the ground.

Tulot confessed that he held John Michael’s hands and repeatedly hit the victim’s head with a hammer then dragged him outside the terrace.

Tulot said that Nombre went outside their house and shouted for help, but he also hit her with a hammer until she fell beside John Michael.

The suspect also admitted to hacking Nombre using John Michael’s cane cutter.

Tulot said he then heard Gemma shouting while standing at their door, prompting him to also hit her with a hammer in the neck until she fell unconscious. He again hammered the lady and hacked her twice.

Tulot said he heard John Michael’s six-year-old daughter crying inside Gemma’s bedroom. He brought the child to the adjacent house and told her to call for an ambulance while he decided to urinate outside.

Then he heard the child answering a call from a cellular phone and immediately took the phone from the child, and instead gave her a tablet to watch cartoons.

Tulot said Nombre’s husband called which the child answered. He said he told the child to tell Nombre’s husband that his wife was taking a bath.

He later wrapped the bodies of Nombre and John Michael with a blanket and covered them with cartoon boxes.

When he returned inside the house, he said he scattered Nombre and John Michael’s valuables in their respective bedrooms, wiped the cane cutter and hammer, and left the weapons at the back of the rice dispenser in the kitchen.

While he was fixing some things, he heard the child still answering the calls to the cellular phone.

Tulot said he placed the child on the sofa at the living room and smothered her with a pillow until she stopped moving.

Tulot then left the house and went to a friend’s house at Barangay Bunga, Don Salvador Benedicto town, where he kept the victims’ stolen valuables.

Tulot said he was not forced or threatened to make the extrajudicial confession.

Police Major Joery Puerto, Police Station 8 commander, said they referred a lawyer to Tulot, whom he also approved to be present when he read and signed the extrajudicial confession.

Tulot asked for forgiveness after signing the confession.

“Sa tanan nga mga himata sang napatay ko, patawara niyo ko. Indi ko gusto matabo ini. Ambot ngaa natabo ini sa akon, natabo ini sa ila. Patawara niyo ako,” an emotional Tulot said.

“Sa police nga gin pasikot-sikot ko sa sobra ko ka binutig, sa tanan nga gapamati kag gatan-aw, patawara niyo ako. Nadala ko sa kainiton sang ulo. Pero amo ni tuod na natabo. Patawad,” he added.

Tulot earlier implicated his uncle Joel Espinosa and a certain “Bro” in the crime, but he recanted his earlier statement and owned up to the killing of his four relatives.

Joel was then released from police custody.

Puerto said they are eyeing grudges as primary motive in the crime, as they would usually argue about money.

Earlier, police eyed a failed illegal drug transaction as the motive based on Tulot’s initial statement. But they later eliminated the angle, following the suspect’s recent confession.

Puerto said they are waiting for the decision of the victims’ family for the filing of multiple murder charges against Tulot, who is also currently facing drug charges after the recovery of P6,800 worth of suspected shabu when he was arrested on April 7.