A 28-year-old caregiver student was beaten to death by eight of his fellow bar patrons in a roadside pub in Bacolod City yesterday, the police said.

Marlon Jereza, alias “Mao Tse Tung”, was declared dead on arrival at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital . Eight persons allegedly ganged up on him and took turns in punching and hitting him with beer bottles at the Alunas Eatery after midnight yesterday, police records show.

The suspects, Heigh Lachica, 29, Michael Elacio, 26, Arlo Cepeda, 27, Ray Millaflores, 35, Dennis Balidan, 32, Junito de Oro, 20, Roem Rico, 26, and Daniel Juanillo, were arrested by members of Police Station 3 and the Crime Stopper group in hot-pursuit operations, police reports said.

The police said the attack could have been triggered by the heavy intoxication of the suspects.

Jereza's friend, Jonathan Sunita, told the police they were drinking at the bar when one of the suspects whispered to him that they will beat up the victim.

PO2 Paul Peduhan of Police Station 3 said Sunita tried to dissuade the suspects but failed.

The owner of the eatery, Nilo Casiano, meanwhile, told investigators that not all of the suspects had hit Jereza with bottles, which is believed to have caused his death.

The eight, however, would not say on who among them did it, saying they are friends.

The suspects could face homicide charges, the police said.*PP

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