A 30-YEAR-OLD woman who was putting herself through college while working as a domestic and house caretaker, died after she was repeatedly stabbed Friday evening, March 10, at Capistrano-JR Borja Streets, Cagayan de Oro City.
Police identified the victim as Cherrymae Dayo, a native of Balingasag, Misamis Oriental and a 3rd year Education student at the Southern Philippines College (SPC).
Dayo, who was alone at the house she was looking after, died past midnight at the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) where she was brought by neighbors who responded to her pleas for help.
Dayo desperately fought for life for some two hours before finally succumbing to numerous stab wounds, one of which pierced her left breast approximately 2-3 centimeters deep.
Doctors also noted cuts on Dayo’s arms, indicating that she had tried to defend herself from her attacker/s.
Police investigators said Dayo, who was brought to the hospital without her undergarments, was able to tell hospital staff that she was raped although she was unable to identify who had sexually assaulted as well as who had stabbed her.
But police soon after arrested five suspects, three men, one of whom is a minor, and two women.
Senior Inspector Maricris Mulat, Police Station 1 chief, said the suspects were seen leaving Dayo’s place of work, the Balinado residence, and were positively identified by a number of witnesses.
The suspects were identified as Warren Amarga, 24, and Angel Mae Rada, 22, who were arrested in Zayas, Carmen.
Two other suspects, Joan Escalante, 18, and a 17-year-old boy, were apprehended at Villarin Street, Carmen.
The fifth suspect, Joel Jonson, 22, was arrested at Cruz-Taal street.
According to Scene of the Crime Operatives (Soco), signs of forcible entry were evident at the house and some footprints were noted beside the victim's room.
Investigators also found the victim's underwear on top of the bed and bloodstains were seen on the beddings and on the floor.
A bladed weapon about 15 inches long was also recovered from the crime scene.
Mulat said the suspects, in separate interrogations, pointed to Amarga as the one who forcibly entered the house while they served as lookouts.
In an interview with VoxPop Supervoxpop, Amarga admitted stabbing Dayo but denied he raped her.
“Wala man ko naibog, naka-inom lang. Di man gud pag-alsa nako sa bugas ninghawid siya sa akong likod mao to nga nadunggaban na hinuon nako siya kay abi nako’g unsa, nakuratan man ko (I did not lust after her but I had been drinking. I was going for the sack of rice when she grabbed me. On reflex, I stabbed her),” Amarga said.
The four other suspects denied the crime.
u2018Wala gyud mi kabalo ana. Nag shot-shot mi una, nag inom mi. Pauli na unta mi sa amo. Tingala mi wala nani siya (Amarga). Kani ra maoy nawala gihulatan namo siya mao to didto mi sa tulay. Natingala mi nga nangayo na siya og tabang, dayon nakuyapan man siya,tingala mi naa na’y mga pulis (We don’t know anything about it. We were on our way home after drinking. He suddenly asked for help and we were surprised that there were policemen soon after),” Escalante said.
All five are now detained at Police Station 1 in Divisoria.
Mulat said the suspects will be charged with rape with homicide. (With reports from Kris C. Sialana and Abigail Viguella)
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