By JOEY NACALABAN
and NITZ ARANCON
Correspondents .
TWO men were brutally killed while another was badly hurt when still unidentified people hacked and stabbed them in Upper Puerto at dawn yesterday.
Chief Insp. Evan Viñas, police station 10 commander, identified the fatalities as Elecio Balotero Jr., 36, and Arnold Buray, 35, of Purok 3, Mantibugao, Manolo Fortich in Bukidnon.
A wounded man, 33-year-old Rodel Librea of the same barangay, was rushed to the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) where he is undergoing treatment.
SPO1 Rodrigo Billasan said the killers followed the victims on the road.
Christian Caballes of the Scene of Crime Operatives (Soco) said Balotero and Buray succumbed to stab wounds to the face, chest, abdomen, and back.
Balatero and Buray were cousins and both worked as carpenters while Librea is a habal-habal driver.
Viñas the three were in a drinking binge at a store in Barangay Puerto prior to the deadly attack.
He said the victims were headed home on their motorcycles at around 3 am when they were chased by still unidentified men who were riding in tandem on another motorcycle.
Jonathan Villanueva, a truck driver, said he and his truck helper were sleeping in their vehicle when they were awakened because of the noise.
“Agpas kog bakud ug nakita nako nga dunay tulo kabook motor naglakag. Nabati nako tong nag angkas sa usa ka motor gisinggitan niya ang kadto nangagsakay sa laing mga motor sa pagpahuhong,” Villanueva said.
Villanueva however said he no longer saw how the victims were attacked.
He said he and his companion did not leave the truck until 5 am because they were afraid. When they did, they found men bathed in their own blood.
Lebria was found hiding in an unfinished septic tank of a funeral parlor in the area. He lost a lot of blood. His mother Gemma said her son has no known enemy.
SPO1 Billasan said investigators were still trying to identify suspects and determine the motive for the attack.
“Wala man na silay atraso didto sa amo, wala man na silay kontra,” said Balotero’s father Elecio Sr..
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