Youngsters in Kabankalan City brutalized

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – Police now have a person of interest behind the brutal killing of two young men, including a minor, in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental yesterday.

Police identified one of the victims as Ervin Colorado, 22, while the name of the 16-year-old boy was withheld. Both are residents of Barangay Binicuil.

Lieutenant Colonel John Joel Batusbatusan, city police chief, said the stab-riddled bodies of the victims were found in a sugarcane field at Purok Pili, Barangay 6.

Prior to the discovery of their bodies, Batusbatusan said that some residents heard someone calling for help early that day.

It prompted them to report the incident to a barangay official, who then sought the assistance of the police.

Batusbatusan said that one of the victims was found covered with dried sugarcane leaves, while the other was found five meters away.

The minor, who was a Grade 9 student, suffered 26 stab wounds, while Colorado had 17 stab wounds. Most of the injuries were found in the back, according to the police.

Batusbatusan said the victims were identified by their families later that day.

Batusbatusan said the victims were killed in the area, as there were traces of blood found.

Both victims were last seen alive with a friend, prior to the incident, based on the investigation by the police.

Batusbatusan said they are looking into anger as a possible motive in the killing, considering the number of stab wounds that were inflicted on the victims.

He, however, said they are also not discounting the possibility of revenge, since the victims had records for alleged theft in Barangay Binicuil.

Batusbatusan said they will continue to check the background of the victim so they could find a lead in the investigation.