Would you consider what happened in Sitio Lower Sto. Niño, Barangay Inayawan, Cebu City a crime of passion?
Last Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 18, 2023, Geraldyn Sanchez, alias Baden, barged into the hut of John Veloso, accused him of abetting her boyfriend in the latter’s alleged sexual dalliances, and then shot him twice.
Obviously she didn’t mean to kill since she only hit his arm and leg. I mean they were in close quarters and she had his whole body as a target. She could have aimed for his head or chest, or worse, his groin area.
But by the looks of it, she only meant to incapacitate. Or to teach Veloso a lesson for trying to cover up her boyfriend’s alleged affair.
From what I gathered from the story, the suspect believed her boyfriend would sneak out at night to get his other “girlfriend” and bring her to Veloso’s hut where they would then do the hokey pokey.
She had every reason to be suspicious.
According to the victim, the boyfriend, who happens to be his good friend, has been staying over at this place for quite some time, although he denies Sanchez’s accusations.
But was that good enough reason to be arrested and possibly face a prison sentence?
Under the circumstances, what Sanchez did last Wednesday could be considered a crime of passion, or crime passionnel, even though I’m not a crime expert or a psychologist.
However, I’ve read almost all of Agatha Christie’s mysteries as well as Ruth Rendell books and the works of other great British mystery writers so I know a thing or two about such matters.
So what is a crime of passion?
According to Wikipedia, it refers “to a violent crime, especially homicide, in which the perpetrator commits the act against someone because of sudden strong impulse such as anger or jealousy rather than as a premeditated crime.”
I get the anger and jealousy part, but the fact that Sanchez was carrying a gun, in the middle of a gun ban, meant that she had intended to commit violence.
Hmmm. I’ll leave that to the lawyers.
Did you know that back in 19th century France, you could use crime passionnel as a valid defense for murder? In some cases the murderer would only receive a custodial sentence of two years.
But we’re not in France nor are we in the 19th century. We’re in Cebu that feels like the 19th century with its twisted hypocrisies and outdated mores and whatnot.
But I digress.
Perhaps Sanchez, who is probably steaming in a very uncomfortable and balmy cell with a bunch of foul-smelling strangers because I heard she was arrested Thursday night, Oct. 19, has finally realized that she might have committed a big boo-boo. And over a philandering guy, at that.
You know what Paul Anka and his two fellow lyricists wrote about regrets.
But I doubt Sanchez has lived a life that’s full, considering her tender age of 25. Still, I believe she did what she felt she had to do at that moment. At the end of the day, she did it her way.
At any rate, I have a feeling Veloso will forgive her, and not press any charges. He should know by now that “hell hath no fury than a woman scorned.”
Meanwhile, the boyfriend must be having the last laugh.