Silay mayor urges suspect in siblings attack to surrender

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Silay City Mayor Joedith Gallego urged the suspect in the attack on three siblings in Silay City, Negros Occidental, to surrender to authorities.

“Surrender now. You cannot keep whatever crime you have committed,” Gallego said in a media interview Tuesday.

Gallego said the city stands with the family in seeking justice for the brutal attack that killed one of the children.

“We are deeply saddened about what happened to these children,” he said.

He thanked individuals who volunteered to help the family, noting that a concerned citizen extended PHP 60,000 in assistance.

Gallego appealed to anyone with information to coordinate with authorities to help resolve the case quickly.

Authorities have offered a PHP 100,000 reward for information leading to the suspect’s arrest.

Police formed a Special Investigation Task Group on Tuesday to focus on the incident, which occurred at the victims’ residence in Barangay E. Lopez on Feb. 7.

The task group is led by Police Col. Dennis Wenceslao, director of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, and supervised by Police Col. Lito Patay, deputy regional director for operations of Police Regional Office–Negros Island Region.

Police Capt. Judesses Catalogo, provincial police spokesperson, said investigators have identified persons of interest and gathered witness accounts but currently have only circumstantial evidence.

Catalogo said more evidence is needed to build a strong case.

He said police have not yet interviewed the two surviving siblings due to their medical condition, stressing that their statements are vital to the investigation.

“The Prosecutor’s Office and our legal team are helping us with this case. We’re hoping to solve this as soon as possible,” Catalogo said.

The survivors include a 14-year-old girl who underwent surgery and remains under hospital monitoring and her 4-year-old brother, who is now in stable condition.

The wake for their 9-year-old sibling was held at their residence Tuesday.

Police said the three siblings sustained head injuries after being struck with a stone by an unidentified person.

The attack was discovered by their father when he returned home on Feb. 7, as he usually stays elsewhere for work.

Meanwhile, Gallego welcomed Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan to Silay City on Tuesday before she met with Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson at the Provincial Capitol.

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration extended support to the family in coordination with the local government.

The agency also assisted in the repatriation of the children’s mother, who returned home from Saudi Arabia on Sunday.

Caunan said the agency remains ready to assist distressed overseas Filipino workers and their families.