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BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO
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Monday, January 30, 2017
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ILOILO City – A police officer and three others were stabbed to death at a food festival area in Barangay Poblacion Centro, Calinog, Iloilo late Saturday night.
Senior Police Officer 4 Nilo Campos, deputy commander of the Calinog police station, tried to pacify several quarreling persons around 10:30 p.m. but ended up being stabbed. He died while being rushed to the town’s Dr. Ricardo S. Provido Memorial District Hospital.
The food festival, which attracted a lot of al fresco diners, was part of the activities in line with Calinog’s annual cultural extravaganza Hirinugyaw Siguidanonay Festival.
According to Senior Inspector Kenneth Bermejo, Calinog police chief, the stabbing was triggered by an arrogant exchange of words between festival diners.
The three other casualties, all residents of Calinog, were Ronald Fernandez, 44, of Barangay Tabucan; Nemia Ganancial, 53, of Barangay Pobalcion Delgado; and Elmer Amorin of Barangay Carvasana.
Fernandez and Ganancial were declared “dead on arrival” at the Dr. Ricardo S. Provido Memorial District Hospital. Amorin, on the other hand, died at the Western Visayas Medical Center in Mandurriao, Iloilo City.
Of the seven suspects, two were arrested and three surrendered to the police.
Those arrested were Ernie Ganancial, 26, of Barangay Pobalcion Delgado and Chyris Cerbas, 27, of Barangay Gama Grande, also in Calinog.
The three who surrendered yesterday were Calinog residents Joven Celeste, 27, of Barangay Carvasana; Van Castañada, 31, of Barangay Poblacion Delgado; and Ryan Sioco, 25, of Barangay Malaguinabot.
As of this writing, the police were still hunting suspects Renato Casalmer of Barangay Gama Grande and and Ruven Celso of Barangay Poblacion Grande.
According to Bermejo, Ernie Ganancial and companions stopped in front of Fernandez who was binge drinking with friends and told him, “Kilala ta kaw (I know you).”
Fernandez’s companion Amorin shot back at Ernie Ganancial, “Ti ano problema haw (So what’s the problem)?” said Bermejo. Then melee ensued.
Bermejo said Ernie Ganancial’s mother Nemia, who happened to be nearby, tried to pacify his son but was stabbed.
The same thing happened to Senior Police Officer 4 Campos who was stabbed from behind, said Bermejo.
At the Calinog police station, Ernie Ganancial denied starting the melee. He said he was at home and not at the food festival site. He also denied stabbing his mother.
Ganancial admitted having dinner with his mother and enjoying a few bottles of beer with his cousins earlier that evening at the food festival but went home ahead.
“A few minutes later, my brother went home and informed me that mother was stabbed so I hurriedly returned to the food festival site. The police arrested me there because they saw bloodstains on my shirt,” said Ganancial.
A younger sister offered an explanation for her brother’s bloodstained shirt. She said he hugged their mother.
Bermejo, however, said they have witnesses against Ganancial and the other suspects./PN
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