Probe of Bicol massacre shifts to husband’s relatives

A family feud may have triggered the massacre in Albay province in Bicol Thursday night, even as police investigators have shifted their focus on the patriarch’s relatives. Sr. Supt. Roque Ramirez, Albay provincial police chief, said investigators have started interviewing relatives of Jesus Moral, 48, head of the slain family. "Kung away-pamilya, malaki ang posibilidad. Sabi ng isang lalaking kapatid, dapat 'di niya dinamay ang mga bata. Nandoon na siya sa akin. Isa-isa na naming iniimbestigahan (As to the angle of a family feud, it’s a big possibility. One of Jesus Moral’s brothers had said he should not have dragged the children into this. The brother is in our custody. We’re investigating the relatives one by one)," Ramirez said in an interview on dzRH radio. Ramirez said the police are now also interviewing the local village chief and police are counting on "conscience-stricken" relatives to come forward. He indicated that at least one female relative may be a potential witness but police could not yet interview her fully because she was still "in a state of shock." Ramirez would not say, however, why the probe has zeroed in on Jesus' relatives. He said Marlene hails from Pampanga. The murder of the family of six took place at 9 p.m. Thursday, but was discovered only on Friday morning. The bodies of the victims were found inside their own home in Camalig, Albay near Mayon Volcano. The victims included Jesus Moral, 48, a bus driver; his wife Marlene, 46; and children Kenneth, 8; Popoy, 7; Jesus Jr., 6; and Gil, 4. Of the six, only Jesus was shot in the stomach with a .38- caliber revolver. Marlene and the children were repeatedly stabbed, while Marlene’s hair was cut and her eyes gouged. "We find it puzzling that only Jesus was killed with a handgun while his wife and children were stabbed repeatedly until they died. We also find it puzzling why none of their relatives living nearby would not investigate the cause of the noise at the time the killings were taking place," Roque said. Investigation showed that the killers threw stones at the victims’ house, then destroyed its windows, before committing the crime. Ramirez said it was puzzling why none of the neighbors, mostly Moral’s relatives, went to investigate or help. He said they could not accept the "excuse" that they thought it was Mayon Volcano rumbling. "Maaring pinatatakpan nila. Nakapagtataka bakit walang nag-react, sa mga kamag-anak walang nagsalita. Imposibleng hindi tutulungan ang kamag-anak. Akala raw nila Mayon pero imposeible dahil tahimik (We believe they were covering up. It’s puzzling why no one reacted or wants to talk. We cannot believe their claim that they thought the noise was from Mayon rumbling. Mayon’s been quiet the last several weeks)," he said. He said the chances of a cover-up increased after the incident was reported to the police only at 5 a.m. Friday, about eight hours after the killing took place. "Normally in Camalig, incidents are reported very quickly," Ramirez said. - GMANews.TV