Accused of assaulting partner, cabbie nabbed with firearm

By Jennifer P. Rendon

 

A taxi driver who was accused of assaulting his live-in partner is facing a graver charge after a gun was taken from his possession during a police operation morning of Nov 19, 2020 in Pavia, Iloilo.

Police collared Leo John Espinosa at the couple’s boarding house at Barangay Ungka I , Pavia.

Major Jojo Tabaloc, Pavia police chief, said they barged into the couple’s rented place following a complaint lodged by 31-year old Mel (real name withheld), Espinosa’s live-in partner of more than four years.

Mel hails from Barotac Viejo while the suspect is from Banate town in Iloilo province.

Tabaloc said the woman reported the incident around 7 am Thursday. She claimed that the assault happened the night before.

Espinosa allegedly battered her physically. She even showed bite marks on her body.

The suspect also threatened and poked a gun at her.

“Apparently, it had been a common thing when the suspect is under the influence of liquor,” Tabaloc said.

Mel told police investigators that the suspect had assaulted her countless times in the past four years they have been together.

The woman has two children from a previous relationship.

She used to work as a call center agent but had to stop because they frequently fought over her job which made Espinosa jealous.

But even that did not put an end to the battery she suffered.

“She gathered the courage to report the incident for fear that the gun might go off the next time,” Tabaloc said.

When policemen barged into his house, the suspect was caught holding a caliber .45 pistol loaded with two ammunition.

Espinosa is now detained and will be charged for violations of Republic Act 9262 or the “Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004” and RA 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act).

 

GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

What happened to Mel is considered a gender-based violence.

According to Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6), gender-based incidents in Western Visayas have declined this year by almost 30 percent.

Records showed that different women and children’s police desks in Western Visayas recorded 2,079 cases related to gender-based violence from January to September 2020.

For the same period in 2019, PRO-6 recorded 2,961 cases.

As defined, gender-based violence (GBV) is violence directed against a person because of that person’s gender or violence that affects persons of a particular gender disproportionately.

Just like in previous years, most of these cases are in violation of RA 9262 which topped the list of gender-based violence.

Complaints relative to violation of RA 9262 numbered to 824 cases or 39.63 percent of the 2,079 cases.