A construction worker died instantly after being repeatedly stabbed by unidentified riding-in-tandem assailants in Cebu City on Tuesday evening, November 25, 2025.
Violent Attack in Parking Area
The victim, identified as 54-year-old Dionesio Raculo Magtagad, was attacked at approximately 7:00 PM in the parking area of Mansanitas Cabajar, Barangay Guadalupe. Magtagad, a married man, was actually a resident of the same area where the violent incident occurred.
Initial police reports indicate that Magtagad had gone to the location to dismantle his motorcycle for scrap metal weighing. However, the suspects suddenly arrived at the scene without warning.
Police Investigation and CCTV Evidence
The Guadalupe Police Station received the report at 8:20 PM and immediately launched an investigation. Upon arriving at the crime scene, authorities found Magtagad lying on the ground, soaked in his own blood.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Jose Los Baños, information officer of the Cebu City Police Office, confirmed that investigators have obtained CCTV footage showing the victim standing when two suspects on a motorcycle approached him suddenly and stabbed him multiple times.
The assailants were wearing helmets and bonnets to conceal their identities, making identification challenging for investigators.
Family Seeks Justice and Answers
The victim's daughter, Maria Jessa Cogonon, revealed that her father had recently argued with a neighbor over water issues, which had escalated to the point of threats being made. However, she clarified that based on the CCTV footage reviewed, the individuals who killed her father did not appear to be residents of their area.
"To those who did this to my father, I hope their conscience troubles them. What they did was not easy. If my father had done something wrong, they shouldn't have done it that way. They really deprived us of our right to have a father," Cogonon expressed emotionally.
The grieving family remains determined to have an autopsy performed on Magtagad's body and has firmly decided to file charges once the suspects are apprehended.
Police continue to conduct hot pursuit operations against the riding-in-tandem suspects as the investigation progresses. The motive behind the killing remains unclear, leaving both family members and authorities searching for answers in this tragic case.
