ORMOC CITY– A sitting barangay chairman was killed in a stabbing attack in Barangay Tiguib here on Tuesday morning, January 6, in an incident that has shocked the local community and prompted a swift police response.
The victim, Arnel Montallana, 56, married, and the incumbent barangay chairman Tiguib, was declared dead on arrival at Oras Doctor’s Hospital after sustaining multiple stab wounds. Police identified the suspect as Erick Lorot, 45, unemployed and single, a resident of the same barangay.
According to a report from the Oras Municipal Police Station (MPS) to the Police Regional Office 8 (PRO-8), the stabbing occurred at around 7:50 a.m. A concerned resident alerted police, prompting responding officers to rush to the area.
Upon arrival, police found the barangay chairman lying bloodied on the side of the road with visible stab wounds. He was immediately rushed by an Emergency Response Team to the hospital but was pronounced dead by the attending physician.
Initial police investigation revealed that the victim had just brought his wife to their store in Barangay Tiguib and was on his way home aboard his motorcycle. While passing through an intersection about 40 meters from his residence, he was suddenly attacked by the suspect, who allegedly used a short-bladed weapon locally known as a “dipang,” stabbing the victim in various parts of his body.
Police said the victim managed to dismount his motorcycle and attempt to seek help, but the suspect chased him and stabbed him again, inflicting a fatal wound to the chest.
The suspect fled on foot toward the mountainous area of Barangay Camanga, but a hot pursuit operation conducted by the police led to his arrest at an isolated house owned by his younger brother in the same area.
Authorities said the suspect was informed of the nature of his arrest and apprised of his constitutional rights in a language he understood. He was brought, along with the weapon used in the incident, to the Oras MPS for proper disposition as police continue their investigation to determine the motive behind the attack.
(ROBERT DEJON)
