Saying she was a long-suffering victim of domestic violence, a woman admitted killing her live-in partner through strangulation and surrendered to the Pasig City police on Wednesday night.
Margarette Mebalo underwent inquest proceedings for homicide on Thursday over the death of Michael Apolinario inside their house on Jacinta Street, Barangay Caniogan.
A report to Senior Supt. Orlando Yebra Jr., the city police chief, said Mebalo briefly went into hiding after bringing Apolinario to Rizal Medical Center around 10:20 p.m. on Tuesday. The 27-year-old electrician was declared dead on arrival and was found to have ligature marks on the neck.
Witnesses, including Mebalo’s father Cornelio, told the police that the couple were heard quarreling at their house around 9 p.m. that night. Cornelio, who lives next door, said he intervened but immediately left after pacifying them.
According to P03 Oliver Baquiran, the case investigator, the 38-year-old Mebalo and her partner again had a fight that night even as they were already having a drinking session.
After taking a punch from Apolinario, Mebalo fought back by choking him using an electric fan cord, the officer said, quoting her confession.
Mebalo later appeared at the Pasig police headquarters to admit the killing but maintained that she been physically assaulted by her partner. She remained in detention as of press time.
The couple lived together for two years and had two children, Baquiran added.