Cops search for more evidence vs ‘sisig’ queen's killer

MANILA, Philippines - After charging the husband with the murder of "Sisig Queen" Lucita "Lucing" Cunanan, police are now looking for a kitchen knife that they believe to be the "murder weapon." Senior Supt. George Gaddi, Angeles City police director, said Saturday they are looking for the kitchen knife they claimed Victorino Cunanan used in killing the victim. "Pinukpok ng martilyo, may 30 saksak din pala. Yan nakita ng SOCO sa examination. Ang nakapatay ang saksak sa puso (Mrs. Cunanan was not only hammered dead. She was also stabbed 30 times. That was found out when the scene-of-the-crime operations team examined the victim's body. It appeared the fatal stab was to the heart)," Gaddi said Saturday in an interview on dzRH radio. Police based the charges on the claims of helper Minda Reconcillo, who said the couple always fought. She said that on the day Cunanan was killed, she heard shouting and thought it was just another argument. Victorino had denied the claims, saying he could not do that to his wife, whom he said he had loved for more than 60 years. "Ang asawa ko, ang bait bait, di ko magagawa sa asawa ko yan (My wife is very kind. I cannot do that to her)," he said in an interview aired on Q-11 television's Balitanghali newscast Saturday. The Cunanan couple's children also could not believe that their father would kill their mother. "Talaga lang ganoon ... Mahina ang tenga nilang dalawa. Nag-uusap sila parang nagsisigawan sila (They are both hard of hearing. What is a normal conversation to them could be a shouting match to another person)," said daughter Priscilla. "Hindi siguro magagawa ng tatay ko iyan (I don't think my father is capable of killing my mother)," Zeny, another daughter added. Gaddi cited initial testimonies from the household helper that Mrs. Cunanan kept the knife for "protection" from Victorino when they argued or when he asked for money. "May tinatagong kutsilyo si Aling Lucing. Hinahanap namin pero di makita. Hinala namin baka yan ginamit, di pa na-recover. Ina-assume namin baka tinapon ng suspect (Mrs. Cunanan kept that knife. We've been looking for it but we cannot find it. We believe it may be the murder weapon. We assume the suspect threw it away)," he added. Police on Friday charged Victorino, 85, with parricide for the murder of Cunanan, whose dish put Angeles City on the map since the 1970s. They based their charges on the claims of Cunanan's maid who said Victorino was the only one who had a key to the house. Initial investigation had showed no signs of forcible entry into the house when the murder was discovered early Wednesday morning. A local village official said in an earlier interview on dzRH that the housemaid heard no sound of struggle, which rendered unlikely the possibility that robbers killed Mrs. Cunanan. "At large pa siya, di namin inaresto. Ang advice ng fiscal preliminary investigation para ma-issue ng arrest warrant (He is still at large. We did not arrest him yet. The prosecutor's advice was to hold a preliminary investigation. If the evidence is strong enough, that can be basis for issuing a warrant for his arrest)," Gaddi said.- GMANews.TV