BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
A 58-year-old woman was beheaded Saturday by a suspect at Purok Himaya in Brgy. Maquiling, Sagay City, Negros Occidental, which the police said was triggered by personal grudges due to dispute over money.
The suspect identified as Randy Maniego, 35, made matters worse by parading the head of the victim, Gelly Recodo, to a public cemetery, while leaving the headless body inside the sugarcane field where the crime was committed, city police chief Lt. Col. Roberto Indiape said.
Indiape disclosed that Maniego was dismayed and got angry after Recodo only gave him P3,000 instead of P10,000 he demanded from the proceeds in the sale of a carabao that she sold.
Recodo sold the carabao that had been under Maniego’s care for almost 12 years.
According to relatives of the suspect, Maniego had been depressed due to misunderstanding between him and Recodo.
Police investigations showed that Recodo and her niece, Bernalyn Abranilla, 33, were on their way to the barangay public market when they met Maniego, who was armed with a bolo.
Abranilla suffered injuries on three of her fingers after being hacked by Maniego, who also hacked and beheaded Recodo who fled inside a sugarcane field, police investigations further showed.
Barangay residents were alarmed and shocked upon seeing Maniego, carrying the head of Recodo, walking two kilometers from the crime scene to the public cemetery, where he was arrested by members of the barangay tanod.
Maniego, who had put the head of Recodo on top of a cross, did not resist arrest. He was immediately endorsed to the Sagay City Police Station, Indiape said.
Abranilla, on the other hand, survived the attempt on her life. She, however, lost three fingers as a result of the hacking incident.
Indiape said that the suspect admitted to the commission of the crime.
Murder and frustrated murder are slated to be filed by the police today against Maniego, who appeared to be mentally unstable. Indiape, however, said it will be for the court to decide.*
