Albay newsman stabbed to death

CAMP OLA, Albay — A provincial news correspondent for a national daily was stabbed to death at a basketball game in Daraga, this province yesterday morning, police said.

Senior Inspector Mayvell Gonzales, Albay Police Provincial Office (PPO) spokesperson, identified the victim as Celso T. Amo, 66, of Barangay San Roque, Daraga, who writes news for the Philippine Star.

Gonzales said Amo’s alleged assailant, Adam Johnson M. Abanez, 33, of Dao, Pilar, Sorsogon, was arrested and detained at the Daraga Municipal Police Station (MPS).

Investigation showed that the stabbing happened past 9 a.m. while Amo was shooting hoops at the Daraga Covered Court.

Probers quoted a witness as saying that Abanez blew his top and allegedly stabbed Amo after the latter refused to lend him the ball.

A witness interviewed by The Manila Bulletin, but who refused to be identified in print, said: “Naglalaro lang yung victim ng basketball. Back-to-back lang ’yun, kumbaga shoot-shoot lang. Kaso sabi ng mga bata na nakausap ko, hindi daw nakaka-agaw ng bola yung suspek kung kaya hiniram yung bola. Tumangging magpahiram ng bola yung biktima kaya sinaksak siya (They were just playing basketball. They were shooting back-to-back hoops. Some kids told me that the suspect could not steal the ball, so he tried borrowing it. The victim refused to lend the ball and got stabbed).”

Gonzales said a certain Dr. Alexander Cortez declared Amo dead at 10:18 a.m. while undergoing treatment at a local hospital.

Amo is the second media man to be killed this year in Daraga after radio commentator Joey Llana, who was shot dead while driving his vehicle last July.