Ex-Navy officer, 4 others massacred in Palawan

A retired Navy official, his wife and daughter and two relatives were bound and stabbed dead inside their house inside a military complex in the western Philippine province of Palawan Monday. Local military officials expressed their surprise at the grisly crime that occurred near the gates of the Naval Officers' Village in San Miguel, Puerto Princesa City, but said a full investigation is underway. Killed were retired Navy Lt. Cmdr. Ernesto Paiton; his wife Chief Petty Officer Carmelita Paiton; daughter Erlita, 21; niece Sharon Cabatuan, 19; and nephew Renato Cabatuan, 17. "Wala pang matukoy [na] suspect sa karumal-dumal na ginawa sa Paiton family. Kami ay nagulat dahil ang pangyayari sa labas ng kampo namin mga 300 metro sa gate ng Naval Forces (For now we cannot pinpoint who the suspects are in this grisly crime against the Paiton family. We are also surprised that this can happen 300 meters from the gate of the Naval Forces facilities)," Lt. Col. Samuel Cabang, the military's Western Command spokesman, said in an interview on dzRH radio. Cabang said the elder Paiton retired from the service in early 2007, but Mrs. Paiton was still active in service. Erlita, a nurse, was working at the Palawan Provincial Hospital. The Cabatuans were studying at Palawan State University, he added. As of Tuesday, Cabang said the Philippine National Police's Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, and National Bureau of Investigation were also probing the massacre. On the other hand, he said they are now securing the victims’ son, Ernesto Jr., who was not home when the killings occurred. It was Ernesto Jr. who found the bodies and reported the matter to local police. Cabang said they learned of the incident Monday night, but said initial police investigation indicated the killings may have started as early as Monday morning. A report by dzBB's Palawan affiliate showed the victims’ mouths were covered with masking tape, and they were stabbed mainly in the head and neck. SPO3 Tony Magbanua of the PNP-CIDG Palawan said the victims were bound and bore multiple stab wounds when they were found inside their house at the Naval Officers’ Village at San Miguel village in Puerto Princesa City at about 9:00 p.m. Monday. Police said they were alerted to the crime after a relative of the victims discovered the bodies. Initial investigation Initial investigation showed the motive may not have been robbery but revenge. Cabang said an initial reconstruction of the crime showed the elder Paiton was the first to be killed, inside the house's comfort room. His daughter, niece and nephew were the next to be killed. Mrs. Paiton may have been the last to be killed, when she arrived at 12:15 p.m. for lunch and the suspects were still in the house. "Tinakluban ng cellophane ang ulo kaya di nakasigaw, at ginilitan ang leeg (The perpetrators covered her head with cellophane so she could not shout, then slashed her throat)," Cabang said. He said the crime was discovered only past 6 p.m., when Ernesto Jr. arrived home. Cabang said it was possible that the suspects were known to the victims and were probably either mad at the victims, or high on drugs. However, he said they are still puzzled over the motive, saying the Paitons had no known enemies. "Ang mag-asawa marami silang kaibigan. Natutuwa ang tao sa kanila dahil friendly people ang mga ito. Wala kaming alam na kagalitan ng mag-asawa (The couple had many friends and neighbors liked them for their friendliness. We do not know of any enemies they may have)," he said. — RSJ, GMANews.TV