Woman in mall shooting incompetent to stand trial - doctors

MANILA, Philippines – Doctors who examined a woman who shot her husband and a security guard in a mall in September last year said she is incompetent to stand trial.

In a medical report, four National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) clinical psychologists recommended that Shella Macapugay continue her treatment as an outpatient.

The Feb. 21 report – signed by NCMH’s forensic psychiatry section chief Dr. Edison Galindez, medical specialist Dr. Zarah Espinoza, and medical officers Diana Joy Dizon and Marlo Oavenga – was received by the staff of Quezon City Regional Trial Court Judge Bayani Vargas on Feb. 28.

Vargas earlier allowed Macapugay to undergo physical and mental examination after her custodians at the Quezon City Jail’s female dormitory reported that she claimed to have been hearing voices, including that of her late husband.

Macapugay is facing parricide and murder charges for killing her husband, Abel, on the night of Sept. 13, 2011. She also killed security guard Ricardo Inamac III when he tried to stop her from killing herself.

Macapugay was examined on Oct. 14 and Nov. 23, 2011 and on Jan. 18 and Feb. 1. The doctors found that she is suffering from major depressive disorder, “characterized by depressed mood most of the day, diminished or loss of interest or pleasure in all or almost all activities of the day, diminished ability to think or concentrate, loss of energy nearly every day, decrease in appetite, weight loss, insomnia, recurrent thoughts of death or suicidal attempts.”

The doctors told the court they will submit their follow-up report once Macapugay becomes competent to stand trial. The medical report is set to be discussed during the resumption of the trial on March 20.