Husband kills Comelec lawyer in murder-suicide

A pharmacist allegedly shot dead his lawyer-wife then killed himself in what police believe was a crime of passion that occurred in Bacood, Sta. Mesa, Manila early morning yesterday.

Crime investigators found the bodies of Benjie Mallen and his wife, Sunshine, both 33, several feet apart at the ground floor of their residence on Araullo street.

Sunshine, who worked for the Commission on Elections, was sprawled on a portable mattress with a bullet wound in the right temple. Near the mattress was the body of Benjie, who worked as a pharmacist at the Bureau of Food and Drugs. He also sustained a single bullet wound on the right temple. A 9mm pistol with three bullets was recovered near Benjie’s body. Three shells from a 9mm and two deformed slugs were also found in the living room.

Chief Inspector Dominador Arevalo Jr. who heads the homicide section of the Manila Police District, said he is ruling out the theory that an intruder had committed the crime since there were no signs of forced entry in the house, which was well-locked from inside. Except for Sunshine’s wedding ring that was reportedly placed on top of a television rack before she died, no other valuables were noted missing at the crime scene.

Investigators said the couple had been at odds for several days before the shooting. However, their quarrel was confined only to themselves, with both choosing to remain quiet, according to the members of their household. “There was no verbal confrontation between the two victims, but their (kin) noted that they were not talking with each other,” Police Officer 3 Jay Santos said.

On Tuesday night, Sunshine reportedly left their room on the second floor and slept downstairs on a portable mattress, together with her 30-year-old brother Lex. Next to them were two housemaids sleeping on a mat. All the lights were turned off in the living room.

Police said Lex was awakened by the sound of a gun being fired repeatedly, and when he turned on the lights he saw the bloodied bodies of his sister and brother-in-law.

Investigators found that Benjie had bought his gun only a month ago and started to practice shooting. Before the night of the shooting, Benjie was also observed drinking alone in the house, with his gun placed on the table.

Neighbors were shocked upon hearing the news of the shooting. “They are God-fearing couple. I can’t believe they can do such a thing,” Santos quoted one of the neighbors as saying.

Arevalo ordered all the members of the Mallen household, except for the children, to undergo paraffin tests, which would show if someone had recently fired a gun.