Overseas worker Marilyn Recaplaza, 33, and her boyfriend, Ricky Decena, 23, were among the six persons killed in stabbing, shooting and hacking incidents as Negrenses welcomed the year 2008.

Ironically, the police has declared the New Year's eve celebration in Negros Occidental as relatively peaceful, except for some minor firecracker-related injuries.

Senior Supt. Rosendo Franco, provincial police director, said “these were isolated incidents that have already been considered solved with the arrest of suspects.

What is important, Franco added, is that they have not received reports of any injury or death related to indiscriminate firing, which was their main concern in the New Year's eve celebration.

Police Supt. Jomil John Trio yesterday said the suspect in the hacking and stabbing of Recaplaza, and Decena, in Brgy. Maricalum, Sipalay City , on Jan. 1, is now locked up in jail. He was identified as Tony Recaplaza, 22, younger brother of Marilyn.

Sipalay police investigators who recovered a bolo and scythe from the scene of incident, are looking into jealousy as among the motives for the crime.

Jason Esmael, 16, was declared dead on arrival at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Hospital in Bacolod City , after he was stabbed dead, allegedly by Riovel Qrranquez, 18, also on Jan. 1, police records show.

Qrranquez, Edilberto Tecosta and two other minors, all residents of Purok Magti-ayon, Brgy. 10, Bacolod City , later surrendered to Kagawad Dexter Yap, who endorsed them to the police.

Tecosta admitted to stabbing Esmael at the Capitol Lagoon on Tuesday, claiming self-defense when the victim and his companions mauled him without any provocation, police said.

Manuel Anwequi, 65, and fisherman Raul Baynes, whose bodies bore injuries, were also found dead in Manapla and Bago City , on Tuesday, police also said.

Anwequi had a gunshot wound in his lower back, when his body was discovered in a vacant lot at Brgy. Calumanggan in Bago City . Also recovered from the crime scene were a homemade shotgun with an empty shell, and a gun holster.

The body of Baynes was found floating near the shoreline of Brgy. Punta Mesa, Manapla. His death was traced to drowning, police said.

In Brgy. Nagasi, La Carlota City, Rommel Yusay, 31, was declared dead on arrival at the Don Salvador Benedicto Memorial Hospital , after he was hacked, allegedly by a certain Rogelio Mondia on Dec. 31.

Mondia was arrested by the police, and is now locked up in jail.

Four other victims of hacking and stabbing in the cities of Silay and Bacolod, identified as brothers Ricky and Richmond Dolar, Joe de Monteverde and Wilfredo Oliverio, however, survived, police said.*GPB/PP

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