North Cotabato farmer who attacks family with machete dies

CARMEN, North Cotabato -- The farmer who hacked to death his two children and injured his wife and another child here Sunday has died in a hospital in Kidapawan City Monday, police said.Chief Inspector Julius R. Malcontento, Carmen town police chief, said Abdul Guiabar Ampatuan, who his relatives claimed, have hacked to death his two children aged 6 and 1 year old, was detained at Carmen PNP lock up cell after relatives surrendered him on Sunday afternoon.At about 10 a.m. today, Ampatuan, who took herbicide after he committed the crime in their home in Barangay Gen. Luna, Carmen on Sunday noon, was found to be very weak inside the lock up cell.So his immediate family and the police, Malcontento said, rushed Ampatuan to the North Cotabato provincial hospital, arriving there at 10:45 a.m. He was immediately sent to emergency room for immediate medication in an attempt to revive him but he expired.At past 12:30, Ampatuan's remains was brought to Barangay Limbalod, Pagalungan, Maguindanao where he was buried according to Islamic rites.Earlier, the relatives surrendered him tothe Carmen PNP after he allegedly attacked his children and wife with a machete. Apparently, financial problems triggered the incident, police said.Other family members told police the wife was also killed for security reasons, thinking the suspect was still at-large. After they were told the father is in police custody, they corrected the information given to investigators and declared that she is actually still alive in an undisclosed hospital.