AT LEAST three persons were arrested on Tuesday dawn, September 13, 2022, for slaughtering the goat of their neighbor.The police served the warrant of arrest issued by Judge Hannah Abella Singco of Municipal Circuit Trial Court 7th Judicial Region against the accused, Elena Pelegrino Dohinog, 48, and her husband Rogelio, 52, in their residence at 2:25 a.m. Tuesday in Barangay Sohoton, Badian town, southwest Cebu.The third suspect, Januario Sagayno, 37, was also arrested in his residence in Barangay Malhiao, Badian around 5 a.m.The Dohinog couple was positively identified by the two female witnesses as the ones who butchered the animal, while Sagayno helped cook the goat stew (kaldereta).The two female witnesses said the suspects even shared with them the food, which the latter prepared for their noche buena to welcome the New Year 2022.Judge Singco allowed a P6,000 bail for each of the accused for their temporary liberty.Police Staff Sergeant Dennis Sun, investigator of Badian Police Station, said in an interview with Sunstar Cebu that the owner of the goat, Hermies Paz Merenillo, filed a complaint against the suspects based on the accounts of the two witnesses.”Gikalderitas nila ang kanding kay gi-andam sa noche buena pagsugat sa bag-ong tuig,” Sun said.Sun said the case against the suspects has become stronger due to the testimony of the two witnesses.The couple, however, denied the accusation, saying the two female witnesses got angry at them after they were not allowed to buy Kulafu on credit.The couple, according to Sun, reasoned out that they found the goat along the way about to die due to suffocation and decided to kill the animal for their food.They added that the animal was not Merenillo’s.But according to Sun, the court gave more credit to the testimonies of the two female witnesses, than that of the suspects. (GPL, TPT)