‘Abusive’ ex-cop shot dead by partner

MANILA, Philippines - A woman shot dead her partner, a retired policeman, with his own gun after he reportedly beat her and tried to shoot her yesterday morning.

Cynthia Baybayon, a 48-year-old supervisor of a parking lot in Pasay City, waited for police officers to arrest her after she shot Ernesto Mateo, who held the rank of Senior Police Officer 1, in his house on Campillo street in Paco, Manila at around 4 a.m.

Baybayon said Mateo, who was reportedly addicted to gambling, convinced her to lend him more than P100,000 and promised to pay her once he collects his leave differential as a newly retired police officer.

She said she filed a case against Mateo, who had been her partner for two years, with the National Police Commission in 2011 because of his alleged physical and verbal abuse. She retracted her complaint after he promised not to hurt her again.

Baybayon said Mateo’s gambling left her penniless and she was forced to borrow money from loan sharks just to repay the money that her partner lost in the casino.

On Friday night, Baybayon said Mateo took her P5,000 and pawned her ring but lost all the money at  the Manila Pavilion. She said she accompanied him to his house in Paco and spent the night there but woke him up early yesterday to remind him that she needed the money for her family in the province.

She said Mateo became angry and beat her, then took his gun and aimed it at her. She said she was able to disarm him and ran toward the door to escape. Mateo allegedly grabbed her by her hair and banged her head against the wall.

Baybayon said she shot him several times while she was slumped on the floor. She is being held at the Manila Police District headquarters.