Mara Marasigan, the daughter of actress Irma Adlawan, recounted on her Facebook account this afternoon that their family home in Cavite was burglarized last night at around 11 p.m.
Her mother and 16-year-old brother Ben were able to subdue the knife-wielding burglar, but not before Ben suffered gashes and a deep bite mark after wrestling with the man for the knife, while Irma sustained a bruise on her forehead.
The man, identified as Ricardo Estorres, was arrested and confessed that he had two accomplices, who were able to escape. “Estorres lives in Sta. Isabel while the 2 other accomplices in Noveleta,” wrote Mara.
“Ben went out to the family room at around 11pm last night because he thought that he left the fan turned on. He saw a man with a bandana wrapped around his nostrils and mouth. Man took out a balisong (a large knife), pointed it at my brother and said ‘huwag kang maingay.’ My brother attributes his next moves to watching walking dead—grabbed the balisong by the hilt with his bare hand, wrestled the guy, got him in a headlock and shouted for my mom. The guy bit Ben and my brother tried to bite back but couldn’t so he pushed the guy on the floor and hit him on the head. My mom came out of the room and helped Ben tackle the guy.”
Mara’s grandparents were with Irma and Ben at the house. She said her grandfather was able to bring out a gun but “couldn’t fire because the guy was wrestling with my mom and my brother.” When Estorres had been successfully pinned down, Irma holding the knife at his neck, the guy gave up the fight and pleaded mercy. The family was then assisted by neighbors who had been roused by the commotion. The barangay tanod arrived and hauled the man to the police station.
“We thank our angels that no one was badly hurt in this incident,” wrote Mara.
“The only thing they were able to get was a used laptop. My brother sustained some gashes and had to get tetanus shots for the very deep bite mark that that slime left on him, my mom has a bruise on her forehead and my grandparents are in shock but it could’ve been so much worse.
“Still, how upset we have all been since yesterday—what with the death of a dear relative and now this. How these animals have intruded in our homes making us feel afraid and threatened. My grandfather and my mom cannot sleep what with my 16-year-old brother having to defend our family from that unspeakable evil who had every intention of killing him. Dear lord, no one should have to go through that and at 16! I’m so proud of my brother, so thankful that he was there but what I would give for him to not have gone through that. And my grandparents—to feel unprotected and vulnerable at their age and my grandpa having to pull out a gun in the middle of the night—thank God that encounter didn’t cause a heart attack.”
The family is safe but is still “reeling from last night’s events,” said Dennis Marasigan, Mara’s father and Irma’s husband, in a statement.
“We’re all trying to cope in our own ways, especially Ben and Irma who had suffered physical injuries and trauma. We hope others do not have to go through similar incidents, though I know it is wishful thinking. We appreciate all the messages of support and prayers.”
This incident comes as the family is in the middle of mourning at the passing of Dennis’ aunt, his mother’s elder sister, yesterday afternoon in Lipa, Batangas.
“Last night’s events only further prevented our family from helping each other cope with our grief,” said Dennis.
In an emotional conclusion to her post, Mara wrote: “Pinaghihirapan po namin ang kung ano mang meron kami. Hindi kami nagnanakaw. Hindi kami nanglalamang. How dare you let them go through this traumatizing experience. How dare you intrude in our home. How dare you make us feel afraid and vulnerable. How dare you threaten their lives…”
“Constant vigilance for everyone,” she added. “Our house has been there since my mom was a kid and we always thought that we knew the people our neighborhood, but no one is spared.”