Taxman gets 40 years for killing ex-wife’s husband

A Manila court recently sentenced a man to suffer 40 years’ imprisonment for killing his ex-wife’s second husband almost two years ago in Sorsogon province.

Manila City Regional Trial Court Branch 33 Executive Judge Reynaldo Ros said Julius Madrid, an employee of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), was convicted of murder for killing Arnel Bueza.

The court also ordered Madrid to pay his ex-wife, Iris Antonette Bueza, a total of P195,500 for civil liability, moral damages, actual damages and exemplary damages.

Iris was first married to Madrid, with whom she has three children – Simon, Charles Bernard and Lyle Michael. But when their marriage was annulled, she married Bueza, with whom she also has children.

Madrid “failed to prove by clear and convincing evidence all the requests of self-defense. There was no unlawful aggression on the part of the victim,” Ros said.

He said Madrid’s crime was “aggravated by treachery because the attack was sudden and unexpected. Although the accused confronted the victim, the latter never expected that the accused would stab him because his body was slightly facing left at the incoming tricycle.”

Court records show that on July 7, 2005, Bueza and Iris were standing outside their house in Burabod, Sorsogon City and waiting for a tricycle when Madrid arrived on a motorcycle and asked the victim how his family was doing.

Bueza lit a cigarette and remained silent. It was at this juncture that Madrid stabbed him in the stomach. Iris hit her ex-husband with an umbrella, but the suspect pushed her away and warned bystanders to stay out of their fight.

He then stabbed Bueza several times. When Iris embraced the victim to shield him from further attack, Madrid stabbed Bueza and fled the scene. The knife was reportedly left imbedded in the victim’s neck.

Bystanders helped Iris bring her husband to the Sorsogon Medical Mission Group Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

One of the witnesses was the suspect’s son, Charles Bernard Madrid, who was 14 years old at the time.

Madrid said their office was supposed to conduct a tax mapping operation that day. He was a back rider on his motorcycle’s friend and was on their way to the BIR, when he passed by the victim’s house and saw the couple.

Bueza reportedly made an obscene gesture and laughed at him. Feeling insulted, he decided to alight from the motorcycle and confront the victim. Madrid said he sensed that Bueza was about to punch him, so drew his knife and stabbed the victim.

He then walked toward the BIR and told the security guard to call a policeman since he had killed someone and would voluntarily surrender.