By Nitz Arancon

A HEAD nurse of the state-owned Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) was hacked dead while another was badly hurt in Barangay Camaman-an here on Sunday night.

Police arrested two suspects, both minors.

Senior Insp. Elmer Robas, Cogon police chief, identified the fatality as Mark Casiño, 54, a head nurse of NMMC from Aiza Subdivision in Camaman-an.

Casiño’s partner, 52-year old Elsie Capapas,  was rushed to the Maria Reyna Hospital where she is struggling for life at presstime.

Robas said Casiño was found sprawling on the floor inside his house. He was already dead.

Robas said Capapas was found inside a room. She was seriously wounded.

Casiño died of two hack wounds in the head while Capapas sustained a wound in the back. Police said Casiño and Capapas were allegedly attacked by two young men who served as their helpers.

Robas said the survivor identified the suspects. Both are minors––one is 17 years old while the other is 16 years old––and are from Sitio Kawa Campatolog, Alubijid, Misamis Oriental.

Police arrested one of the suspects in Bayabas while the other was cornered in Alubijid.

Investigators said the attack was apparently a result of grudges. Police said the suspects were fired by Casiño in July 19. The suspects denied any participation in the attack last Sunday.

Authorities said they would submit to local prosecutors the result of their investigation so they could decide on what to do with the suspects. A law gives minors or child offenders immunity from prosecution.