Sugarcane worker stabs live-in partner to death

By Jennifer P. Rendon 

A sugarcane worker was arrested more than an hour after he allegedly stabbed his common-law wife to death morning of March 20, 2022 in Anilao, Iloilo,

Federico Soliz, 49, a resident of Sitio Balagon, Barangay Badiang, Anilao, was nabbed at his workplace in Barangay Tuburan, Pototan town.

Soliz fled after stabbing his partner, 31-year-old Marie (real name withheld), around 10 a.m. Sunday by the roadside near a sugarcane plantation at Badiang village.

The suspect claimed he thought Marie survived the knife attack and was being treated at the hospital.

According to Soliz, they were walking home when they figured in a heated argument.

Lieutenant Jersey Besas, Anilao police chief, said the suspect claimed their misunderstanding started after the man wanted to check the victim’s phone out of jealousy.

“Naga-pangimon ni siya. Dugay na ni nga naakusahan niya nga may iban nga lalaki iya live-in partner,” Besas said.

(He was jealous. For quite some time, he’s been accusing his live-in partner of having another lover.)

The couple has three children, a 12-year-old, a 6-year-old, and an infant.

At the height of their argument, Soliz stabbed Marie, hitting the latter on the right side of her body.

He immediately fled, leaving his wounded partner on the roadside.

Police later received a call from the victim’s immediate family about what happened.

Marie was brought to Don Jose S. Monfort Medical Center Extension Hospital in Barotac Neuvo, Iloilo but she was declared dead by the attending physician.

A hot pursuit operation was conducted leading to the suspect’s arrest at around 11:30 a.m. Recovered from his possession was a 10-inch knife.

Soliz claimed he didn’t mean to assault his wife, but anger got the better of him.

He is presently detained at Anilao Police Station lock-up cell pending the filing of charges against him.