ILOILO CITY - An Ilonggo businessman, his wife who is a niece of Negros Occidental Vice Gov. Isidro Zayco, and their 6-year-old daughter were found stabbed dead in their house at dawn here yesterday.

Francisco "Bobby" Tan had multiple stab wounds in the chest when he was found sprawled in the master's bedroom in the second floor of their residence at M.H. del Pilar Street in Molo District.

The body of his wife, Cynthia Marie Zayco-Tan, was found in an adjacent bedroom, while that of their daughter Kathy was found near the door of the master's bedroom. Both also had stab wounds in the chest.

Tan is the owner of Crown Agro Chemical, which sells pesticides, fertilizers, and other agricultural inputs. Cynthia belongs to the prominent Zayco clan in Negros Occidental. Her father is a cousin of Vice Gov. Zayco and Kabakalan Mayor Pedro Zayco.

The couple's five other children and Tan's aunt, businesswoman Conchita Tan, were unharmed.

The bodies were discovered by Tan's sons from a previous marriage, Archie, 23, and John Michael, 19, said Chief Supt. Doroteo Reyes II, Western Visayas police director, citing the statement of the victim's sons.

Archie and John Michael told investigators they sneaked out around midnight yesterday for a night out by jumping over the concrete fence. They said they returned around 3 a.m. and found the remains of the victims when they returned to their rooms.

They immediately called the other members of the household who helped bring the victims to the hospital.

Reyes said initial reports showed there were no signs of forcible entry and there were pieces of jewelry reportedly missing. But he said the jewelry and other valuables are still being investigated.

Police have failed to find the weapon used in the crime.

Reyes said they still could not comment on the motive for the killings or determine the suspects.

"Everyone is being investigated and we will gather more information from all the tests, pieces of evidence and testimonies," Reyes said in a telephone interview.

He said he has directed the Iloilo City Police Office and other police agencies in the region to expedite the investigation of the case.*NPB

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