By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD City – A woman was beheaded while her niece was wounded after they were hacked by their neighbor at Purok Himaya, Barangay Maquiling, Sagay City, Negros Occidental last Saturday.
Killed was Gelly Recodo, 58, of Barangay Dian-ay, Escalante City while her niece Bernalyn Abranilla, 33, of Barangay Dian-ay, was wounded.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Roberto Indiape Jr., Sagay City police chief, said the victims were walking when the suspect identified as 35-year-old Randy Maniego chanced upon them.
Maniego then allegedly attacked the victims, hitting Abranilla first in the hand.
Both victims ran away, but Recodo stumbled to the ground.
Maniego caught up with her and hacked her in the head, Indiape said.
Maniego left Recodo’s body in the sugarcane field, while he held her severed head while walking towards the cemetery, Indiape said.
This alarmed the residents, prompting them to call for assistance.
Maniego put Recodo’s severed head on a cross at the cemetery, where he was later arrested.
Police recovered from him a bolo used in the incident.
Indiape said that anger triggered Maniego to commit the crime after he was not given his share of the sale of a carabao that he took care of for 12 years.
Indiape said the suspect was only given P2,000, instead of P10,000, which he asked from Recodo after the carabao was sold.
“Una-una P10,000, tapos gin ayo P5,000, nagnubo pa gid sa P3,000, asta nga P2,000 na lang ang na hatag sa iya,” the police chief added.
Indiape said the suspect got depressed and reportedly planned about killing Recodo a night before the incident happened.
“Grabe gid kaakig niya sa biktima,” he added.
In a media interview, Maniego said he did not regret what he has done, adding that he was really furious about the carabao.
Indiape said that murder and frustrated murder charges will be filed against Maniego.
