Police have filed a murder complaint against the man who allegedly stabbed dead a priest in Sta. Cruz, Tanjay City in Negros Oriental, just as he was about to offer a fiesta mass in honor of the chapel's patron saint Tuesday.

The murder complaint was filed late Wednesday against Dionisio Tejamo, of Sitio Bomba in Barangay Sta. Cruz, before the Tanjay City Prosecutor's Office.

An inquest was not possible as Tejamo could not appear before the Prosecutor's Office because his attending physician did not allow him to leave the hospital in Dumaguete as he still needs orthopedic cast for his leg wounds, the police said.

Supt. Resty Santos, the police chief of Tanjay, said Tejamo, who is confined at the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital in Dumaguete City for treatment of bullet wounds on his legs, signed a waiver of detention instead in the presence of a lawyer from the Public Attorney's Office, also on Wednesday.

The PAO lawyer provided assistance to the suspect and made sure he understood his rights, Santos said.

Tejamo, in his 50s, married and a farmer was arrested Tuesday shortly after he allegedly stabbed Fr. Antonio Magalso, 44, near the St. Michael, The Archangel chapel in Sitio Bomba.

Magalso had just arrived on board a motorcycle at around 9:55 a.m. for the 10 a.m. fiesta mass and the blessing of the newly renovated chapel when the suspect stabbed him from behind.

The priest managed to run towards the doorway of the newly-renovated chapel where he dropped to the ground as parishioners rushed to help him, witnesses said.

The suspect allegedly walked calmly towards a nearby creek where he rinsed the bladed weapon he used in stabbing Magalso, according to more witnesses' accounts.

Magalso was rushed to the Holy Child Hospital in Dumaguete City, but succumbed to a single stab wound on his back.

Responding policemen shot Tejamo in the legs when he refused to surrender, the police said. Santos said they have not determined yet the motive for the stabbing, even as early reports said the suspect is mentally-challenged.

He said Tejamo does not want to talk to investigators. Tejamo's wife told the police she does not have any idea on what was going on with him, Santos added.

The Tanjay City Prosecutor's Office has ordered the preliminary investigation on the murder case on October 12, he said, adding he hopes that by then, the suspect would have recovered from his wounds and be discharged or allowed to travel to Tanjay for the preliminary investigation.

Tejamo is under tight watch 24/7 at the provincial hospital, with two police personnel assigned in the morning and another two in the evening. Santos said the man appears to be “very poor”, and the wife has no money for medical expenses, such as the purchase of dextrose, which policemen had to pay for Wednesday evening.

At least five witnesses have issued affidavits to testify in court.*JFP

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