Jealous husband kills wife, hurts neighbors

CEBU, Philippines - Jealousy drove a husband to stab his wife to death and hack his neighbor, whom he suspected as the third party in their marriage, in Purok Dakit, Sitio Upper Silot Bay, Barangay Yati, Liloan early morning yesterday.

A shout for help was heard from the couple’s two children who saw their mother, Susan Iglesia, 41, in a pool of blood and their father, Ferdinand Iglesia, 42, armed with a knife, inside their room.

Susan died on the spot because of several stab wounds and she was no longer taken to the hospital. An autopsy of her body is being conducted at the Maturan Funeral Parlor in Barangay Catarman.

Also injured was Fidel Gonzales, 37, the alleged boyfriend of Susan. Ferdinand stormed inside his house and hacked him.

Fidel’s wife, Susan Gonzales, tried to disarm Ferdinand but he bit her thigh. Fidel and his wife were taken to the Don Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City for medication.

Susan Gonzales is also the aunt of Susan Iglesia.

SPO2 Marcelino Servilla, Liloan police investigator, narrated that the Iglesia couple was sleeping inside their room. Their son, 21-year-old Joeferd, slept in the living room while their daughter, 19-year-old Maria Rie, was also sleeping in the other room.

Servilla said it was around 2:00 in the morning when the two children woke up hearing their mother moaning inside the room, prompting them to check. There, they saw her bleeding.

The children panicked and shouted for help. Their grandfather, Alfonso Iglesia, lives near their house.

Servilla said Ferdinand was armed with an 18-inch long bolo when he went to the house of Fidel located just a few blocks away.

Ferdinand knocked on the backdoor of the house several times so Fidel peeped through the window. He saw a figure but he was not certain who it was. Fidel turn on the light outside the house but Ferdinand suddenly hacked the jalousie blades.

Ferdinand entered the house through the window and attacked Fidel, hitting him several times. Fidel’s wife saw what happened tried to take the bolo from Ferdinand. Fidel helped her and when she succeeded in getting hold of the weapon, Ferdinand bit her in the left thigh.

Overpowered by the couple, Ferdinand made his way out of the house through the backdoor and fled on foot. He is now subject of a manhunt operation.

Police recovered the knife’s handle and the bolo at the house of Fidel. The pieces of evidences were identified by Joeferd as theirs.

Also found was Ferdinand’s pair of shorts which had blood stains.

Servilla said charges for parricide, frustrated murder, and physical injuries are being prepared against Ferdinand. Alfonso, father of Ferdinand, said that the argument over Susan Iglesia’s supposed affair with Fidel started in November last year.

“Didto pa gani kuno na sila og Camotes Island,” Alfonso said. (We heard they went to Camotes island.)

Alfonso told The FREEMAN that there was a time when Susan Iglesia asked for her husband’s forgiveness. She admitted her mistake and Ferdinand forgave her.

Susan and Ferdinand were married for 21 years.

Alfonso further disclosed that the couple even tried to settle their problem at the barangay level. Alfonso added that Ferdinand would always remember how his wife betrayed him every time he got drunk.

Servilla also added that Susan Gonzales knew of the affair as her husband told her about it. — (FREEMAN)