By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Three children were killed after their elder brother allegedly slashed them across the neck in their home Saturday afternoon in the mountainous area of Barangay Marcelo in Calatrava, Negros Occidental.

Police identified the fatalities as one-year-old Gregor Melibo, five-year-old Alejandro Melibo, and 14-year-old Jun Renz Melibo, all residents of Sitio Palala in the said barangay.

Police also identified a survivor, nine-year-old Jenny Melibo, who managed to flee to their neighbor’s house.

In a radio interview over the weekend, Barangay Marcelo Captain Jeremias Diotay said the victims’ father, 50-year-old Morito Melibo, was attending a parent-teacher conference at Marcelo Elementary School, when his son, 21-year-old Junmark Melibo, assaulted his brothers with a large knife, slashing their necks and killing them on the spot.

After witnessing the incident, Jenny fled to a neighbor’s house and informed her father.

The elder Melibo immediately returned home and chased the suspect, however, the assailant escaped in the direction of Puting Bato, a neighboring sitio.

Meanwhile, police were unable to respond immediately due to the difficult terrain, along with poor weather condition at the time that complicated matters.

Junmark was arrested on Sunday morning after Diotay and several concerned citizens returned to the crime scene and found him hiding in a hole near their house.

Calatrava municipal police chief, Police Chief Inspector John Joel Batusbatusan, said the elder brother reportedly killed his siblings after they failed to prepare a meal for him.

Investigators also found out the suspect regularly abused his younger siblings whenever his parents refused to comply to his demands, especially after it was determined Junmark was unable to attend school due to financial issues.

They also believe the suspect might be suffering from mental illness.

Parricide charges are being prepared against the suspect, who is detained at the Calatrava Municipal Police Station./DGB, WDJ