Driver admits killing boy but police say other suspect isn't spared just yet

CEBU, Philippines - The suspect in the killing of a seven-year-old boy in Mandaue City admitted the crime yesterday, the same day the boy was laid to rest. 

Mario Abecia, 42, admitted that he acted alone in killing Gabriel Morales, the youngest son of his former live-in partner.

Since the discovery of boy’s body at Abecia’s house in Barangay Subangdaku last Tuesday morning, the suspect has been inconsistent with his statements. He denied killing the child as pointed to his neighbor Arsenio “Junjun” Ursal as the one who allegedly did it.

Yesterday, he said he killed the child by himself but he did not mean to do it.

Abecia said he gagged the child with a towel and tied his hands and feet with a packaging tape only because he did not want him to leave his house. He said he gagged the boy because the child was crying and he wanted him to sleep while he looked for the boy’s mother, Christine Morales, his former live-in partner, and the woman’s alleged lover. Abecia said he wanted to kill the two.

Homicide chief P/Insp. Ramil Morpos said Abecia’s statement will not automatically spare Ursal from charges. He said Ursal would still be included in the kidnapping case. This is because a witness reportedly saw Abecia and Ursal together prior to the time the boy was killed.

Morpos said all affidavits needed to support the cases are ready and formal charges will be filed today. A case for kidnapping will be filed against Abecia and Ursal while a separate case for murder will be filed against Abecia.

Morpos said they have yet to retrieve the video of Abecia and the child prior to the killing, which is reportedly stored in the suspect’s mobile phone. The phone is now under police custody.

The video would reportedly show the child in fear. The boy reportedly looked coerced especially when Abecia asked him if it was true that he saw his mother and her lover having sex to which the boy replied ‘yes’.

“Mura’g nagpanghadlok ang bata busa misulti na lang og ‘oo’ apan tan-aw ko’s video murag gi-threatened man dyud ang bata busa nakasulti ato. Ang pag-video nahitabo sa bakery diha sa Subangdaku,” Morpos said.

Aside from the video, Morpos said they also retrieved a text message the suspect sent to the boy’s mother prior to the killing. The text reportedly confirmed that Abecia was with the boy. The text message would reportedly help strengthen the kidnapping case.

Abecia earlier admitted taking the boy from Barangay Umapad after he and Christine had a fight.

Information gathered by the police revealed that he took the boy at around 5pm last Saturday and brought him to Fuente Osmeña in Cebu City where they ate before heading to his house in Barangay Subangdaku at past 9 pm.

Ursal, for his part, said he was asked by Abecia to buy masking tape, but he did not know what it was for.

The boy’s body was found wrapped in a yellow blanket and buried in a shallow grave inside the toilet at Abecia’s residence. The boy is the youngest of Christine’s three sons, all from a previous relationship.

The boy was hurriedly buried that a portion of his body was still visible despite efforts to cover it. The stench also led to its discovery.

Abecia worked as a driver in one of the companies in Mandaue City. — (FREEMAN)