By Jennifer P. Rendon
A woman was killed in a knife attack evening of July 5, 2020 in Maasin, Iloilo.
The victim, 26-year-old Jessa Marquilencia of Barangay Magsaysay, Maasin, Iloilo, succumbed to injuries on her right arm which pierced her armpit and heart.
The victim was in her parents’ house when her former live-in partner, Mark Erwin Almaquer, sent her a text message.
Police Major Fernand Limbungan, Maasin police chief, said Almaquer allegedly lured the victim out of the house by claiming that he was with their 6-year-old son.
The suspect was believed to be drunk when the incident happened.
Marquilencia’s mother claimed that Almaquer told the victim via text message that he will leave their son with the latter as he will report to work the following day.
The victim, together with her younger brother, went out around 7 p.m. Sunday to “fetch” her son.
But instead of welcoming her son, the suspect arrived and stabbed her with a knife.
Marquilencia’s mother said the victim’s brother saw what happened. The victim was able to run to their house and shouted “Nanay” (Mother) before falling.
Her parents immediately came out after hearing the victim’s plea for help.
“I saw her on the ground with blood flowing out of her body,” the mother said in the vernacular.
The victim was taken to Ramon Tabiana Memorial District Hospital where she was declared dead on arrival.
Almaquer immediately fled bringing with him the weapon he used. He remains at large as of this writing.
According to Marquilencia’s mother, the victim intimated to her that she wanted to end her relationship with the suspect.
When asked if her daughter was dating someone else, “I told her not to focus much on her textmate. She should just work hard for her son,” the mother said.
Almaquer agreed to the separation and even planned an arranging how to take care of their child.
He allegedly wanted the boy to stay with the victim during daytime while he will have the kid at night.
But the family claimed the suspect might be against the separation.
It was gathered that the victim had just gone out from facility quarantine after arriving from Manila where she trained for a job.
