Jealous man puts girlfriend, her sister in ICU

AUTHORITIES are looking for Richard Belasa who escaped after he stabbed his girlfriend, Christine Gino (middle), and her sister Catherine. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

A lovers’ spat a day before Valentine’s Day ended badly for two sisters who were reported to be in critical condition at a hospital after both were stabbed by a man driven by jealousy and possibly drugs.

Mary Catherine Gino-Oliveros, 27, was reported to be in a coma after she suffered three cardiac arrests while her sister, Mary Christine Gino, 31, remains under observation. Both are confined at the intensive care unit of Manila East Medical Center, their brother Jonathan told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Their attacker was identified by the police as Christine’s boyfriend, Richard Belasa or Buboy, now the object of a manhunt after he stabbed the sisters inside their house at the Palmera II Subdivision in Taytay, Rizal in the early hours of Feb. 13.

Jonathan, however, said that Belasa was still courting Christine so it was unclear what they had fought about.

Senior Supt. Rolando Anduyan, Rizal police provincial director, said that before she was stabbed, Christine and Belasa had argued because he suspected her of seeing another man. Belasa then turned on Catherine who rushed to her sister’s aid.

According to Jenilyn Sarmiento, one of the victims’ house helpers, Christine came home at 11:30 p.m. on Feb. 12, accompanied by Belasa. Also in the house at that time were Catherine, her eight-month-old baby and two other house helpers who were in a room at the second floor.

Sarmiento said that when she went downstairs to make coffee, she found Christine and Belasa seated on the sofa. The couple were speaking in low voices but it was obvious they were having an argument although she couldn’t make out what they were fighting about, she added.

After a while, she said the couple stopped talking and she saw Belasa embracing Christine. At this point, she went upstairs.

A few minutes later, those who were in the room on the second floor heard loud noises coming from the living room,  prompting Catherine to see what the matter was.

Sarmiento said she then heard Christine shouting, “Buboy! Buboy! No!”

She added that when she ventured downstairs to take a peek, she saw Belasa holding in his left hand the knife Christine kept in the house for protection. Christine was in front of him while Catherine was behind him, trying to stop Belasa from hurting her sister.

Sarmiento said she immediately ran back upstairs and locked herself, the baby and the other maids inside their room. When she decided to go down  after a few minutes, she found the two sisters with stab wounds and Belasa gone.

According to the police, Belasa did not appear to have a criminal record although they had received information that he was a drug user.