JAYRALD Jetulla bought two bottles of soft drinks and biscuits for her family before he left for Barangay Tejero in Cebu City from their residence in Opao, Mandaue City last Aug. 4.
His wife Julia (not her real name), said it was unusual that her husband bought something for them after years that he had been asking money from her for his vice. It was the last time she saw him.
Past 10 p.m. that day, Jetulla was allegedly killed by an unidentified assailant because of his involvement in illegal drugs in Sitio Villagonzalo, Barangay Tejero. He was 38 years old.
While Julia, 38, was saddened, she said she had been expecting it to happen. “Di pabadlong. Iya mang kagustohan nga maingon ani siya (He did not listen to us. He wanted this to happen),” she said.
Jetulla married to Julia at the age of 20. They were blessed with four children, two boys, now ages 18 and 17, and two girls, ages 14 and 13.
He did not have any vice before. He worked hard for her family.
In 2009, he left his family to earn well in Japan. He returned in December 2012 when his contract abroad ended. To raise her children, he worked in Parkmall in 2013.
Driver
He stopped in 2014 when he bought a multicab and became a jeepney driver. He drove from Compostela to Cebu North Bus Terminal, and vice versa.
Julia recalled Jetulla started using illegal drugs when he drove their multicab at night.
“Di siya mouli. Init kaayo og ulo. Di mohatag og kwarta kay ang pasangil naguba ang sakyanan (He seldom came home. He was always angry. He did not want to give us money because he said the multicab always had a problem),” Julia said.
Julia was able to sustain her family’s needs by working as a Philhealth card in-charge in the Mandaue City Hospital.
Julia said Jetulla would see her in the hospital just to ask for money and would say his multicab had to be repaired.
If she tells him she had no money, he gets wild.
Luck was not on her side when Julia’s contract as a job-order employee in the hospital ended last November 2015. Julia said she could no longer buy their needs.
Jetulla became skinny. His skin darkened.
“Tag-upat ka adlaw di mouli. Mouli og kaadlawn (He wouldn’t go home for four days straight. He would return home at dawn),” Julia said.
Jetulla and Julia had been to the police station after he’d hurt her and their children. He was advised by the police to stop his illegal vice, but he did not listen.
There were times that Julia had to stay in her parents’ house in Barangay Looc because of their arguments.
Days before he was killed, Jetulla had a fistfight and was warned not to go back to Villagonzalo, according to Julia.
She said he was advised by his father not to leave the house because he was going to be killed.
“Naghilak akong mga anak pero di kanang danguyngoy (My children just cried),” Julia said.
Jeany (real name withheld as requested), 31, said his brother used to play basketball.
She never saw him involved in any illegal activity until he used prohibited drugs.
“User siya, di na siya mamaligya (He was a drug user, not a dealer),” Jeany said.
Julia advised other wives whose husbands are into drugs to convince their spouses to stop.
“Ilang hinay-hinayan ilang bisyo. Pait kaayo. Duterte patay gyod, di pareha sa una (Life is hard with drugs. Duterte will have them killed),” Juliad added.