TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol — A husband who had hit his wife with a hammer after a heated argument died after hours after drinking muriatic acid in Anda town in Bohol early Tuesday morning.
PO2 Felix Datahan of the Anda Municipal Police Station police officers on patrol heard screaming from the house of the Makinano family in Barangay Poblacion, Anda town, Bohol.
According to investigators, on Monday night, Modesto Makinano, a 60-year-old seaman, and his wife Jocelyn, 60, had a heated argument.
Later in bed, Modesto hit his wife on the face and head with a hammer while she was sleeping.
Jocelyn ran to her daughter’s room to ask for help.
Neighbors and roving police officers heard her screaming.
Police officers asked Modesto’s sister to help them get inside the two-story house.
On entering the house, police officers saw Modesto sprawled on the floor inside the toilet with a bottle of muriatic acid.
Police realized that Modesto had drunk the acid on seeing froth around his mouth.
Modesto was pale and was still writhing around in agony while continuing to spit.
On the second floor, officers found Jocelyn bloodied inside the room of their daughter, who had just given birth.
As it turned out, after hitting his wife in the head with a hammer, Modesto went to the toilet to commit suicide by drinking muriatic acid.
Modesto also slit his arm with a sharp object which left an open cut.
The couple were rushed to Teodoro Galagar District Hospital in Jagna town.
At 3 a.m. on Tuesday, they were transferred to the Governor Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital in Tagbilaran City.
Jocelyn, who had deep laceration on her head that needed staples and stitches, was pronounced in stable condition.
Modesto was transferred to Holy Name University Medical Center Foundation Inc. where he died on Tuesday afternoon.
Police said they have yet to identify the cause of the fight.
“We are still investigating if it was one of those marital spats,” Datahan said.
Datahan said neighbors of the Makinanos told police that the couple fought regularly.
“Not a week passes by without them fighting,” Datahan quoted a neighbor as saying. /atm