Jealous wife hacks barangay captain

Beware of the wife's ire, as jealousy knows no age boundaries.

Two men landed in the hospital the past two days after suffering the ire of their jealous wives.

The first victim, a barangay captain of a mountain barangay in Cebu City, was brought to the hospital yesterday after he was hacked on the nape.

Taptap barangay captain Jesus Mabini Bontilao, 55, sustained a hack wound on his nape inflicted by his 54-year old wife Babylonia.

SPO2 Rey Cuyos of the homicide section said that jealousy triggered the hacking incident.

PO2 Julius Mabunay, also of the homicide section said that the neighbors alleged that the barangay captain has a paramour. This was however denied by the members of the family.

The family of Bontilao said that their mother vented her ire due to a family problem, but refused to elaborate on its nature.

Mabunay said that since May 2005, the couple has lived in separate houses. The barangay captain has reportedly been living at the house of his daughter Marilyn, while the wife remained at their family residence to tend to their flower farm.

The policeman added that the couple has been regularly arguing even during their separation as alleged by the neighbors.

The incident happened at around 11 am yesterday while the barangay captain and his son, Junjun, were cutting down a tree near their residence to be used to build a house for the son. When Babylonia saw her husband, she reportedly attacked without provocation using a 17-inch bolo.

The police son's presence prevented the mother from inflicting further harm.

Bontilao was immediately brought to the Perpetual Soccour Hospital while the police immediately arrested Babylonia and she is now detained at the Camp Sotero Cabahug stockade.

Homicide police said that they will wait for Bontilao's decision if he will file a case against his wife.

Meanwhile, an 84-year-old woman voluntarily surrendered to the Talisay City Police claiming responsibility for the stabbing of her husband last Tuesday morning because of jealousy.

Maria Aripal, who is a resident of sitio Molave, barangay Tabunok, Talisay City, told police that she used a kitchen knife to stab her husband, after the latter did not go home the other night.

Vivencio Aripal, 76, who sustained a single stab wound at the right side of his body, was brought to the Talisay District Hospital for treatment.

According to PO2 Brenda Espina, Maria had been looking for her husband, a PUJ dispatcher in Tabunok, that Tuesday morning and found him sleeping in a corner near the Tabunok Public Market. The angry Maria, who at that time was carrying a knife, asked Vivencio where he spent his night.

But, the husband instead of confirming Maria's allegations that he was having an affair with another woman told her "patya ko!" (kill me!) Thus, the irate Maria did not waste time and thrust her knife at her husband.

Fortunately, no major organs were injured.

Police are now waiting for word from the victim if he will be filing a case against his wife. The woman has been turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development. - Flor Perolina and Liv G. Campo