By ZALDY COMANDA
BAGUIO CITY – A 46-year-old taxi driver was allegedly hammered to death here by a 19-year-old laborer last Sunday.
Police identified the victim as Erwin Mayamay Cueno, 46, single, of Atok and La Trinidad, Benguet.
Residents reported to the police that a taxi was robbed on St. Bernadette St., Dominican-Mirador Extension.
Responding policemen found Cueno’s body at the driver’s seat of a Toyota Innova taxi with trade name MILL-THER Taxi and license plates AYV-324 registered under Theresa Oloan.
Police found and arrested the suspect, Zaldy Matalang Cuycuydo, single, of Better Living, Bakakeng, here, inside the taxi with blood on his T-shirt and maong pants.
Police theorized that Cuycuydo attempted to rob Cueno but failed, prompting the suspect to kill him instead.
The suspect admitted to the crime, saying he was drunk and needed to replace the money for his family that he lost to gambling.
Initial findings of the Baguio City Emergency Medical Service led by Riomar Salazar showed that the victim sustained a laceration on the back of his head and suffered blood loss.
A Scene-of-the Crime Operations team led by Chief Insp. Juliet Albon recovered from the crime scene a hammer with blood stain on top of the front passenger seat believed to be the murder weapon. Personal belongings of the suspect were recovered and the earnings of the victim were intact.
