‘Don’t exaggerate news on man’s grisly killing of parents’
ROXAS CITY – Pontevedra Mayor Steve Contreras, who is a doctor by profession, appealed to the local media and populace not to exaggerate the news regarding the mentally ill man who killed his parents and cooked his father’s head Tuesday morning in Linampungan, Pontevedra, Capiz.
“The gruesome killing was done by a lunatic man, is not an “aswang” (witch) as insinuated by some quarters. Exaggeration of the news could again bring Capiz province in a bad light,” Contreras said in a radio interview.
He also appealed to the people not only in Capiz but also in the rest of the country not to give any meaning to the news since the gruesome killing was perpetrated by a mentally ill person.
Last Tuesday morning 25-year old Fernan de la Vega, who is believed to be mentally ill, hacked his father and mother with the use of an ax causing their instant death. Not contented, Fernan, who is gay, beheaded his father Federico Dela Vega, 56, a barangay kagawad of the said barangay. Police said that Fernan then boiled his father’s head using a cauldron (kaldero) where he put salt and seasoning and then tasted it.
The suspect’s mother Editha, 66, a barangay health worker, also suffered hack injuries on the head causing her death.
Their neighbor Renato dela Cruz said that around 6:30 a.m. last Tuesday, Editha was preparing coffee when suddenly Fernan, armed with an ax, hacked his mother on the head.
Noticing that something happened inside their house, Federico tried to enter but he was also hacked by his son.
Dela Cruz said that the suspect then got a sugar cane bolo (espading) and later a knife to cut off the head of his father. He then put his father’s head on the cauldron which his mother used earlier in boiling water for their coffee.
The witness said that Fernan also tried to harm him but he ran away and sought the help of Linampungan Brgy. Capt. Rodolfo Balsomo.
The suspect was later subdued by the police through the negotiation of Boy Blasurca, land lord of the Dela Vega family.
Celso Dela Vega, younger brother of the suspect, said that Fernan was admitted in the mental hospital in Pototan, Iloilo in 2003. However, he was discharged of the hospital after three months when he got recovery. Celso added that his older brother was found positive of illegal drugs use when he was in first year college.