THE suspect in the fatal stabbing of a 30-year-old working student on Sunday, March 12, admitted to also raping the victim, a day after initially denying that he had sexually assaulted victim Cherrymae Dayo.
The suspect, 24-year-old Warren Amarga, earlier told police he stabbed Dayo, who, Amarga said, caught him in the act of stealing a sack of rice.
"Human sa pagdunggab, aminado ko nga nahilabtan nako pero wala matiwas kay gasukol man siya unya nataranta nako busa ko nidagan (I admit I had intercourse with the victim after I stabbed her. But it was not consummated because she tried to fight back and I panicked so I ran away)," Amarga said.
Before dying at the hospital, Dayo, whose undergarments were missing, had told hospital staff that she was raped.
But Amarga said he alone was responsible, saying the four other suspects already in police custody had nothing to do with the crime.
Police earlier arrested Amarga’s friends and drinking companions identified as Joel Jonson, 22; Angel Mae Rada, 22; Joan Escalante, 18; and a 17-year old, all of whom police said acted as Amarga’s lookouts.
Amarga said he was under the influence of alcohol but denied having used illegal drugs prior to the incident.
Amarga, however, admitted he was a drug user before but stopped using illegal drugs some eight months ago.
He said he even went to the village hall in Barangay Carmen earlier this month to tell barangay officials that he will no longer use illegal drugs.
"Giadto nako sa barangay para ipakita nga undangan na nako ang illegal drugs kay gitambagan man pud ko sa akong igsoon (I went to the barangay to show that I was willing to stop using illegal drugs as my sister was urging me to stop using drugs)," Amarga said.
But Senior Inspector Maricris Mulat, Police Station 1 chief, said they could not force Amarga and his companions to undergo drug tests to rule out the influence of drugs, if any, in the commission of the crime.
Mulat also said all of the suspects are known to be petty thieves, while Jonson had been charged with murder but the case was dismissed.
Mulat said the police will look into the backgrounds of the suspects to dig their other possible illegal activities.
Meanwhile, an angry mob gathered at Police Station 1 in Divisoria where all five suspects have been detained since their arrest dawn of Saturday.
“Netizens” have also been calling for the suspects to be meted with the death penalty.
Paulita Roa, who used to live beside the house that Dayo was looking after, also said the suspect/s should be meted the death penalty.
Roa, who describes Dayo, “Inday,” as a responsible and a diligent worker and student, said the victim had also been supporting her father, a stroke victim, and her ailing mother.
"Buotan gyud ug saligando si Inday kay siya na ang gilauman sa pamilya nga makatabang kay iyang papa is na-stroke and not feeling well iyang mama (Inday was a good and responsible person and her family depended on her as her father just had a stroke and her mother is ailing)," Roa said.
“She was a sweet young lady whose only dream was to get a college degree as an elementary school teacher. She was a smart girl with a great future ahead for her. She had worked hard for it balancing her work, family obligations and schoolwork. She had worked as a caregiver for an old lady who was bedridden for over 5 years and whom she loved like her own mother,” wrote Roberto Balinado in a Gofundme post shared on Facebook.
Robert Balinado, now based in Canada, is the eldest son of the late former city councilor and lawyer Mending Balinado.
“When my mom died in 2013, she chose to stay and live in the house alone. We wanted to invite her to come to Canada to stay with us but her calling was strong to stay in the Philippines and teach young children in the rural areas. Her heart belongs to these poor children she had hoped to teach someday,” Balinado wrote.
Balinado wrote that he hopes to raise US$20,000, which will then be given to Dayo’s family.
“This is a cry for justice. This is a cry for compassion. This is a cry for survival of those whose lives depended on her,” Balinado wrote.
