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Filipino gets life for killing his domestic-helper girlfriend

16 April 2025

 By Daisy CL Mandap

 

Quiabang during happier times in Hong Kong

A lover’s quarrel that turned violent today led to the conviction for murder of a Filipino domestic helper over the killing of his domestic helper-girlfriend, also a Filipino, more than three years ago.

In imposing the mandatory life sentence on 45-year-old Bernie Macatangay Valencia, High Court Judge William Tam said the seven-man jury who voted 6-1 for conviction must have decided that the defendant had intent to kill when he assaulted his girlfriend, Ivy Villaluz-Quiabang, on the night of Dec. 22, 2021.

Quiabang lost consciousness on that night, but was not taken to hospital until more than 24 hours later.

Despite undergoing brain surgery she never regained consciousness, and was declared dead on Jan. 2, 2022.

Basahin ang detalye!

“Your vicious attack on her resulted to traumatic injuries that led to her death,” Judge Lam told Valencia. 

Valencia had earlier told the court that he did not want to plead guilty to murder but only to manslaughter. 

He admitted repeatedly punching Quiabang, then 37, but did not intend to kill her.

On hearing the verdict, Valencia looked momentarily shocked, but was otherwise calm. 

His elder sister, Susan, who was in court, was the one who broke down and cried out to him in anguish after the judge ordered a few minutes’ break so defense counsel Michael Arthur could confer with him.

Susan had earlier told the court it was she who had stopped her brother from taking the unconscious Quiabang to the hospital, saying doctors there might say she had Covid-19 and "would ask a lot of questions."

It was only after two of Valencia’s male friends checked in on them that police were called at about 9:20 pm on Dec. 23, 2021.

Following today’s verdict, Arthur said he had nothing to say in mitigation as there was only one sentence prescribed for the crime of murder. 

After conferring with his client, Arthur said Valencia did not want to address the court. 

Arthur did give a brief background on Valencia’s personal details, saying the Filipino had secondary-level education, and first came to Hong Kong to work as a domestic helper from 2016 to 2020. He has seven children.

In September 2021 he returned to Hong Kong again for work, but was dismissed a month after. As it was the height of the pandemic he managed to stay on to look for work, and lived with Quiabang in a subdivided flat on Stone Nullah Lane in Wanchai.

Prosecutor Human Lam told the jury earlier that Valencia who had a wife in the Philippines, developed a romantic relationship with Quiabang after they met at an outing in 2017 or 2018.

Arthur had suggested that Quiabang often got jealous after getting drunk. But this was disproved by a friend of Quiabang who told the court the deceased had bonded with Valencia through drinking but never became violent while drunk.

According to the evidence, Valencia and Quiabang had attended a Christmas party together on the night of the incident.  They were initially in good spirits but after they both consumed alcohol they started to fight, so friends asked them to leave.

One witness said during trial that Quiabang got upset when she saw Valencia offering an e-cigarette to another woman, and this led to a heated argument between the two. 

Valencia hit Quiabang on the face, so she left and proceeded to their rented room in Wanchai.

At about 8:45 that night, Valencia went home, and a neighbor testified hearing him demand from Quiabang why she had left the party without him. 

The fight ended with Valencia punching the victim repeatedly in the head, causing extensive injuries and rendering her unconscious. She was also later found to have bruises on her limbs and other parts of the body.

Despite this, Valencia did not seek medical help for her, even though her condition had worsened that she was unable to get up or eat. She also became incontinent.

The couple lived in a subdivided flat on this street in Wan Chai

A neuro surgeon who testified for the prosecution said Quiabang’s brain had swelled from the repeated and forceful punching, that she would not have likely survived even if she was taken to the hospital earlier.

However, her condition had gotten a lot worse from the delay that she stood no chance of recovering.

During questioning by the police, Valencia insisted his girlfriend had slipped in the bathroom, which caused the injuries to her face and limbs. 

Quiabang was already in a coma when she was rushed to Ruttonjee Hospital, and later moved to Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital after she was found to have suffered a brain hemorrhage.

She was immediately operated on but never regained consciousness. The single mother of two teenagers passed on at 7:52 am on Jan. 2, 2022, the day she was supposed to move in with a new employer.

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