Sunday, October 07, 2007 Mentally ill man beats ma; ma dies
A MAN with mental problems beat up his 67-year-old mother and his younger sister with a piece of wood while they had lunch in Barangay Libo, Sibonga, Cebu last Friday afternoon.
The mother, Filomena Ortiz Bacaling, was declared dead on arrival at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) while her daughter He-norima, 25, is still confined at the hospital.
Mario, 28, was arrested by police officers who were called upon to help the Bacaling family neutralize him.
Seized weapon
They seized a long piece of wood around three inches in diameter, which he used to club his mother and sister.
His blows caused a crack in Filomena’s skull, and broke Henorima’s jaw.
It took awhile for the two to be taken to the hospital because neighbors were hesitant to go inside the house, thinking Mario was armed with a bolo.
By the time they were brought to the hospital, Filomena was bleeding heavily.
(Parricide case)
PO3 Benjamin Sevilleta of the Sibonga Police Station said they will file a parricide case against Mario on Monday and that they will leave it to the court to decide if he has a psychiatric condition.
Libo Barangay Captain Mateo Guarin said Mario has been in and out of the VSMMC psychiatric ward three times.
However, he was reportedly released by doctors due to Filomena’s pleadings.
Under medication
Doctors from the VSMMC prescribed maintenance medicine for Mario, but the latter sometimes refused to take the medicine and bullied his parents if they forced him.
Mario only obeyed Guarin, but the latter could not be there all the time to monitor him.
Guarin explained that Mario does not attack anyone else in the neighborhood, only members of his family.
He had advised the parents to keep Mario on leash so he wouldn’t hurt anyone.
His parents tried that but later on they would take pity on him, and release him.
He said that before Mario suffered from his mental condition, he always skipped meals because he was always playing billiards.
No regrets
Guarin said that on most days, Mario, the fourth in a brood of seven, was a good person.
Sevilleta said Mario is now detained at the Sibonga Police Station.
He asked Mario if he regretted hitting his mother that resulted in her death, but Mario said he did not.
Mario said they had an argument earlier and he was angry at her.
Mario had just finished washing clothes when he entered their house, and suddenly attacked Filomena and Henorima. (MEA)
