Eleven cult members in Misamis Oriental will be charged with parricide charges after they burn an elderly woman as ‘part of ritual.’
The 84 year-old matriarch was said to have been “purged from sins.” The cult was from the village of Baliwagan in Balingasag town, more than 50 kilometers from Cagayan de Oro City.
The ritual murder alarmed religious leaders who condemned the horrendous act.
In a report by Rappler, Cagayan de Oro broadcaster Magnum Radio first broke the news and people condemned the killing.
“We demand strong-willed efforts from the police as crimes in the province have worsened,” said provincial board member Gerardo Sabal III.
The police arrested seven people from the cult including the 20 year-old Crisanto Ercilla, the leader, who threw their mother in a pile of burning wood.
Four members of the cult remain at large according to local police.
The suspects included children and grandchildren of the victim, Teofila Camongay.
“A crime like this is hard to believe. Eleven relatives – her children and grandchildren included – were the ones who did it to her,” Galdo said.
