ILOILO City — A man in his 60s was hospitalized after allegedly being attacked with a bolo by his nephew in a rural barangay of Janiuay on Saturday, an incident that residents say was shadowed by lingering family conflict and local belief in anting-anting, or mystical amulets.
Police identified the victim as alias “Arn-Arn” while the suspect was named as his nephew, alias “Rem-rem”, both laborers and residents of Sitio Tib-Tib, Barangay Quipot. According to police, the assault occurred around 5:20 p.m. on January 17 following a bout of drinking at a relative’s house.
Police Captain Marlon Perez, chief of the Janiuay Municipal Police Station, said the uncle had returned to his brother’s home and was resting on a bamboo bench when the suspect allegedly followed him and struck him several times with a bolo before escaping.
The victim sustained multiple injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. The suspect remains at large as police carry out a hot-pursuit operation. Authorities said they are also waiting to see whether the victim will formally file charges against his nephew.
Residents told police that tensions between the two had flared before but were not reported, partly because of a belief that the older man possessed an anting-anting — a traditional Filipino charm thought by some to grant protection or extraordinary abilities. Locals said this belief may have discouraged earlier intervention.
In Philippine folklore, anting-anting are talismans believed to bring protection, strength, luck, or even invulnerability. Historical accounts note that such charms were carried by warriors and revolutionaries, reflecting a mix of indigenous spiritual beliefs and religious symbols introduced during the Spanish colonial period. Scholars say that while anting-anting hold cultural and historical significance, many Filipinos today regard them as superstition rather than fact.
Police stressed that no evidence has been found to suggest any supernatural factor in the attack, which is being investigated as a case of attempted homicide./PN
