Woman in hospital after husband hits her with bolo

CEBU, Philippines - A forty-year-old high school teacher landed in the hospital after her husband hit her with a bolo when the latter was reportedly suffering from nervous breakdown.

The incident happened in Sitio Suba, Barangay Poblacion in Argao last Monday night.

Pacita Caminero Binghit, 40, a niece of Board Member Wilfredo Caminero, sustained a wound on the right side of her head and on the ring finger in her right hand after her husband, John Binghit, 38, hit her with a bolo.

Binghit is a member of the Naval Forces Central with a rank of Seaman 1.

Pacita was rushed to the Don Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City and is now recuperating. Her husband is also in the psychiatric ward of the same hospital.

Pacita is a teacher at the Argao National High School while John is one of the caretakers and stewards of the quarters for bachelor officers at the NAVFORCEN.

The incident last Monday was reportedly not the first time John hit Pacita. A week ago, Pacita sought help from the police after John allegedly mauled her, prompting her to leave their house.

Even before that incident, John has reportedly been maintaining medicine for nervous breakdown, which made Pacita decide to place him under psychiatric care. She was supposed to talk to her husband about the plan when the incident happened.

Investigation revealed that the couple was in the middle of a conversation when Pacita's mobile phone rang. She went out of the house to answer her cousin's call and John followed her out to urinate. A few minutes later, however, John reportedly took a bolo and hit Pacita from behind.

Insp. Alejandro Batobalonos, chief of the Argao Police, said John was reportedly acting unusual when he was arrested.

“Mura'g wa siya sa iyang normal nga panghuna-huna unya di man namo pwede prisuhon kay basin maunsa ang ubang piniriso,” Batobalonos said in a phone interview.

Ensign Joseph Ison, public affairs officer of NAVFORCEN, told The FREEMAN that John has been in the service for 12 years, but they have not noticed anything unusual about him.

“I personally saw him everyday and there was nothing unusual in him but there were some instances when he told his friend na meron siyang problema,” Ison said.

NAVFORCEN is reportedly willing to provide John with needed support and may send him to the AFP General Hospital in Manila for further treatment.

“While ginagamot siya he would still be in the service and his family could still get support,” Ison said. – (FREEMAN)