Surigao City - Police in Surigao City have apprehended the suspect in the gruesome massacre of three family members on Friday evening, following a pursuit operation in the city's boulevard area.
According to Philippines News Agency, the suspect, identified as Alejandro Ultado Cortes, a 20-year-old resident of Basilisa, Dinagat Islands, was arrested in connection with the killings. The incident, which occurred in Sitio Looc, Barangay Luna, has shocked the residents of Surigao City.
Surigao City Police chief Lt. Col. Diomedes Cuadra Jr., in an interview over RPN DXKS Surigao, reported that the fatalities were identified as Mylene Golloso Virgen, 40, and her two children, John David, 13, and Mary Elizabeth, 9. The surviving daughter of Mylene Virgen, who was involved in a relationship with Cortes, identified him as the perpetrator. The motive for the crime appears to be linked to the mother's disapproval of the relationship, as the daughter is still a minor. The daughter recounted that she and Cortes arrived at their residence on Thursday evening, where he then attacked the family with a bolo, killing her mother and siblings.
The daughter managed to escape and hide in a comfort room at a nearby Gawad Kalinga center. Lt. Col. Cuadra stated that Cortes is now in police custody, and preparations are underway for the filing of criminal charges against him through inquest proceedings. The charges will include a murder case for the killing of Mylene Virgen and two counts of murder under Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act for the death of the two minors.