Driver signs confession about kidnap-slay of ex-lover’s son

DRIVER Mario Abecia admitted to the kidnapping and murder of his ex-lover’s 7-year-old son during yesterday’s inquest procedure in the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office.

Abecio, 42, went down on his knees after the conference to ask for forgiveness from the boy’s mother, Cristine Morales.

“Sorry, love, I only did it to use your son as a shield because of my love for you,” he said in Cebuano.

The mother, who was seated across him, kicked him away with one leg.

Abecia, a resident of Subangdaku, Mandaue City, signed his extrajudicial confession Wednesday in the Public Attorney’s Office.

Assistant Prosecutor Bienvenido Mabanto read aloud to the handcuffed Abecia the 40 questions in his signed confession to hear his answers.

Abesia said his co-respondent Arsenio Ursal Jr., a friend, had no knowledge that the boy, Gabriel, was being held in his house in the Subangdaku Creek since last Saturday.

He said Ursal failed to spot Gabriel who was placed behind big stereo speakers.

“Wala koy intensiyon na ang bata na si Gabriel, akong patyon. Gihimo ko lamang siya nga taming aron sa among panag-uli sa iyang inahan nga si Christine Morales nga akong ka live-in,” he said in his confession.

(I had no intention to kill Gabriel. I only used him to try to get his mother to come back to me.)

Abecia and Ursal will be charged with kidnapping and serious illegal detention in relation to Republic Act 7610, the child abuse law, and murder.

Police said Ursal would still be criminally charged based on Abesia’s initial statement that he left Ursal with the child, whose hands, feet and mouth were sealed with packing tape.

It was Ursal who was asked to buy the tape. Jucell Marie Cuyos