By CESAR JOLITO III

A 45-year-old woman was declared dead on arrival at a hospital following a reported domestic assault in Negros Occidental’s Kabankalan City early Saturday morning, April 25.

Police identified the victim only by alias “MJ,” a married housewife and a resident of Barangay Orong’s Sitio Cabansan.

The suspect, identified as her husband, 46-year-old alias “Jory,” a laborer, is now under investigation for parricide.

Initial police investigation, based on the account of a minor witness who is the couple’s son, revealed that the incident occurred at 1:30 a.m. when the suspect allegedly arrived home intoxicated.

A heated argument reportedly ensued between the couple, which escalated into a physical assault.

The witness told police that he saw the suspect repeatedly punching and kicking the victim, particularly on the chest.

The victim later vomited blood and lost consciousness while lying on the ground.

The minor then sought help from barangay officials, who responded promptly and assisted in bringing the victim to the hospital.

However, she was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.

Authorities have yet to release further details on the suspect’s status as of this writing, while an in-depth investigation is ongoing to determine the full circumstances surrounding the incident./CJ, WDJ