Drunk electrician nabbed for abusing live-in partner

MANILA, Philippines - A drunken electrician was arrested for physically abusing his live-in partner at a drinking session with a friend at their house early yesterday in Caloocan City.

Suspect Ludovico Maravena, 49, electrician and resident of Phase 7-B, Package 6, Block 35, Lot 1 in Bagong Silang was arrested by PO1 Pemar Taguinod after he punched around his wife for refusing to have sex with his friend after a night of drinking at their house. The friend offered to foot the bill for the beer but in exchange for having sex with his wife. The suspect agreed, said Taguinod.

Taguinod said Maravena not only punched Soledad Sintinaje, 48, beautician, but also bit off most of her lower lip in their struggle, leaving only about a fourth. “Maravena was so drunk and so enraged, he actually bit off, chewed and swallowed the piece of flesh,” Maravena told The STAR in an interview yesterday.

Records showed the incident happened at past 12 midnight at the house of the couple in Bagong Silang. Taguinod said that prior to the incident, Maravena, who had no money then, was offered by an unnamed acquaintance, who managed to flee during the commotion, free beer but on one condition — sex with his wife. Maravena reportedly agreed and soon the two were drinking bottle after bottle. At midnight, the friend demanded his due. Sintinaje, however, vehemently refused his advances.

Seeing this, Maravena reportedly joined in and tried to force his wife to do as he promised his friend. The couple argued heatedly and soon Maravena was punching her around. At one point, the drunken suspect kissed his struggling victim and ended up biting off her lower lip, chewing and then swallowing it.

The bloodied Sintinaje cried out in pain and horror, said Taguinod who responded to the scene. He quickly collared Maravena who did not resist arrest. The wife was taken to the Jose Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center in Tala for treatment of her mangled lower lip.

During investigation, Taguinod said Maravena revealed he was a former Army man assigned in Sulu and Tawi-tawi before he went AWOL in 2000. The information, he said, is still being verified.