Woman slashed by teen boyfriend may lose voice

She’s our bread winner. She helps me in sending her siblings to school. I’m afraid she’s going to lose her voice.”

This was Maricel Abad’s sentiments with what befell her 21-year-old daughter Mariel.

Mariel is still confined in the   Intensive Care Unit of  South General Hospital in Minglaniila after her 17-year-old boyfriend  slashed  her throat last Friday.

“Doctors are still observing her condition but they already warned me that Mariel might not be able to talk again because of the damage in her vocal cords,” says Maricel.

The 17-year-old suspect surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI-7) last Saturday.

Maricel said that daughter and the suspect have been together for a year. But she has always been against  their relationship because she saw how the suspect would physically harm her daughter everytime he gets jealous.

“There was this one time that he was angry because Mariel went out with friends. He followed her and slapped her in front of everyone when they had a fight,” she says.

PO1 Edsel Ricablanca of Minglanilla Police Station said that Mariel wanted to break up with her boyfriend but “Mark” (not his real name), attempted to commit  suicide. Mariel wanted to stop Mark’s plan so she went to see him at their home.

They had their talk at his room. But when Mariel decided to walk out from him, Mark grabbed Mariel and started slicing her throat. She was able to escape and asked for help.

Maricel said that she cannot forgive Mark for what he has done to her. She wanted him to suffer the consequences in a case they will file against him. They also want the family to answer the hospital bills.

Mark together with his parents and his lawyer surrendered at the National Bureau of Investigation in Region 7 last Saturday.

Assistant Regional Director, Atty. Lauro Reyes says that the suspect admitted the crime. His parents convinced him to surrender after they saw some people watching outside their home in Minglanilla. They fear for their security. Reyes assured that under their custody, the suspect will not be harmed. A case of frustrated homicide will be filed against him.

In a separate interview, the suspect did not comment regarding the crime, he is leaving it to his lawyer but says he still loves Mariel and he is sorry for what he did.

“Wa gyud nako tuyo-a. (I didn’t have any intention to hurt her),” he told reporters yesterday.

NBI-7 supervising agent Rennan Augustus Oliva filed charges of frustrated homicide against Ben before the Cebu Provincial Prosecutors’ Office.

Assisted by lawyer Rowell Juban, Ben executed an extra-judicial confession to make formal his admissions. /Carine M. Asutilla and Ador Vincent Mayol