Husband in a fix after autopsy

The husband of a young lady auditor, whom he had initially reported to have died in her sleep last Tuesday night, was arrested yesterday in Caloocan City by the medico-legal officer himself following an autopsy on the victim.

Senior Inspector Filemon Porciuncula arrested Percival Fabilinia, 26, of 36 Topaz street, Merry Homes Subdivision Camarin, Caloocan City at the Novaliches Funeral Homes, where the autopsy was made, on suspicion he killed his wife Kristine Ramos Fabilinia, 24.

Porciuncula said autopsy results indicated that Kristine actually died of asphyxia (suffocation). He said both the victim’s hands were cyanotic or purplish black, signifying lack of oxygen in the blood.

Porciuncula, a physician by profession, said he found ligature marks on the victim’s neck, showing she could have been either strangled or hanged using a piece of cloth, probably a baby’s diaper. He said his findings, among others, contradicted Percival’s claim that Kristine died of acute pancreatitis (accepted medical term for bangungot).

SOCO chief Senior Inspector Rio Gatacilo commended Porciuncula, saying the officer did the right thing. He said Porciuncula’s suspicion was backed by scientific data and professional expertise.

"Bangungot was a remote possibility because experts have put the likelihood of women dying of this malady at a ratio of only one for every 1,000 cases. More men die of this than women. Percival’s case then could be homicide," Porciuncula told The STAR.

During the autopsy, the husband told Porciuncula he and his wife slept the previous night with their baby in the middle. His wife allegedly failed to wake up due to acute pancreatitis.

"Eh kung sabihin kong hindi bangugot? Nagbigti o sinakal siya," the officer told the suspect, who at this point, turned pale. The husband responded that he removed the cloth and tried to revive his wife after which she went back to sleep. He also admitted that his wife’s body was already stiff when brought to the nearest hospital.

"Tinanggal ko ang diaper, ayos naman," the husband admitted to forensic aide SPO4 Raymundo Ramos, who assisted Porciuncula. He said the suspect, however, failed to reply when asked why he kept these facts from the other members of the family, particularly his wife’s parents.

Probers aid the couple had a big quarrel the night prior to the incident.

Porciuncula turned over the suspect to the Almar Detachment investigation unit at the Urduja Police Station even as a case of parricide is being readied against Fabilinia.