JUSTICE / LOS BAÑOS PNP SACKED
MANILA,
MARCH 7, 2012 (GMANEWS TV) The
family of slain University of the Philippines-Los Baños (UPLB) student Ray
Bernard Peñaranda (photo) wants justice and asked their son's
murderers to voluntarily surrender, according to GMA News' "24 Oras."
"Sumuko na lang sana sila, para matapos na… Lalo na 'yung anak ko [para]
mapanatag na rin siya. Pagdusahan na lang niya 'yung kanyang kasalanan kasi
ginawa nila 'yun e," German Peñaranda, the victim's father, said in the report
Monday.
Ray Bernard, a junior UPLB agriculture student, was robbed and stabbed to
death by a couple of holdup men riding-in-tandem on a motorcycle just outside
the university campus Sunday evening as he came from a Youth For Christ dance
rehearsals. His two companions scampered away and escaped from the scene.
Anna, the victim's sister, saw the CCTV footage showing his brother's last
moments before passing away. She said Ray Bernard could have been saved if only
others came to his aid.
"Dun ko nakita how hopeless he was, eh. Nakahawak siya sa chest niya, na
trying to get help and then bumulagta siya dun sa street and then wala agad
immediate na tumulong sa kanya," she said.
"Ang sabi nga nung doctor kay Mama, my brother was late for five minutes
lang. Kung nadala si Ray nang mas maaga, puwede pa sana siyang ma-revive," the
victim's sister added.
Ray Bernard's father hopes that his son will be the last victim to die in the
hands of robbers.
"Sana matapos kay Ray 'yung [ganung pangyayari] dun sa area na 'yun… Sana
mawala na 'yung ganyang violence, 'yung mga kagaya ni Ray na hindi naman dapat
bawian kaagad nang buhay, nawawala na," the elder Peñaranda said.
Ray Bernard will be buried next Sunday, March 11, in Tanay, Rizal, GMA News
reporter Tricia Zafra reported.
Dean Domingo Angeles, UPLB's College of Agriculture dean, joined Ray
Bernard's family in their hour of grief.
"Siguro kung ito pong si Ray ay nabubuhay pa, cum laude ito… 'no, sapagkat
simula nung kanyang freshman year matataas ang grade na nakukuha niya," said
Angeles.
The dean surprised the Ray Bernard's family by issuing a Certificate of
College Scholar under the victim's name, which was supposed to be awarded to him
Tuesday.
"'Yun pala may sorpresa. Dati kasi wala siyang ganung grades," Ray Bernard's
father said, reminiscing how his son was full of dreams and aspirations.
"Magkasundo na nga kami sa gusto niya, sa mangyayari sa buhay niya. Kaya nga
sana 'yung paunti-unti naming pinagsikapan, siya na sana 'yung magpapatuloy.
Wala na, eh," he added. The police offered a P100,000 reward, courtesy of the
office of Laguna Gov. Emilio Ramon "ER" Ejercito,
for the criminals responsible for Ray Bernard's death. The amount was raised
to P300,000 with the office of Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo pitching in
P200,000.
Indignation rally
[PHOTO - Peñaranda family]
Teachers, students and the whole UPLB community on Monday held an indignation
rally against the of crimes happening in their place.
In four months a series of crimes have been committed in the town of Los
Baños, student group Dakila UPLB chapter noted in a statement:
UPLB student, Given Grace Cebanico was raped and killed. Los Baños National
High School student Rochel Geronda was also raped and killed. Ray Bernard
Peñaranda was robbed and killed. Los Baños resident Rey Tamayo, 32, was also
murdered just hours after Peñaranda.The indignation rally was a "collective
effort" among UPLB students and teachers and Los Baños residents, said Rally
organizer Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo.
She estimated 3,500 people joined the rally.
"We want to say that there is still hope for the UPLB and the Los Baños
community itself. There is still a room for improvement and it is everyone's
responsibility," Lamentillo said.
Police chief sacked, 53 officers reassigned
After Peñaranda's death, Los Baños Police Superintendent Dante Novicio was
relieved from his post, with Major Conrad Basungsong assigned as the new chief
of police.
Fifty-three other police officers from the Los Baños police station were
reassigned to different parts of Laguna, provincial director Sr. Supt. Gilberto
Cruz said in an interview with GMA News Online.
"Parang kulang 'yung ginagawa na police visibility. Ngayon, ginawa namin para
magsipag-sipag sila," said
Cruz. — With Rouchelle Dinglasan/VS, GMA News
FROM MANILA BULLETIN
Los Baños PNP Relieved Over UPLB Killings By AARON
B. RECUENCO March 5, 2012, 7:04pm
[PHOTO - Students of the University of the Philippines in Los Banos
light candles to demand justice for Rey Bernard Penaranda, the Agriculture
student killed in a robbery outside the school's gates on Sunday, and for other
victims of a rash of violent crimes in the town. (photo by
Likha Cuevas-Miel, InterAksyon.com)]
MANILA, Philippines — The entire police force of Los Baños town in Laguna was
sacked and replaced following the rash of killings near the University of the
Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) campus, the latest victim of which was a
19-year-old Agriculture major who was stabbed dead by robbers near the campus
gate.
Chief Superintendent James Melad, director of Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna,
Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) regional police, also said that they will be
constructing police outposts near the gates of the UPLB campus as part of the
security measures.
"We had a discussion with the provincial director of Laguna (Senior Supt.
Gilbert Cruz) and we decided to replace not only the chief of police but also
the entire police force there," Melad told the Manila Bulletin in a phone
interview.
"We need to deploy new police force there because apparently, they are not
doing their job because of the series of criminal incidents near the UP Los
Baños," he added.
Melad said his order took effect on Sunday, replacing Supt. Dante Novicio and
his 53 men. Novicio will be replaced by Chief Inspector Conrad Masungsong.
The official said the new police force will come from the Laguna provincial
office. Some of those replaced were moved to the Laguna provincial police while
some were subjected to retraining.
"We also designated that area as special concern, aside from the replacement
of the Los Baños police, we will also be deploying additional policemen to
conduct regular patrol in the area," said Melad.
Cruz, director of the Philippine National Police (PNP) provincial office in
Laguna, said the additional police force is composed of 30 policemen whose main
task is to patrol the vicinity of UPLB on a 24/7 basis.
"We will also be putting police outposts near the gates of the UPLB campus as
part of the security mea-sures," said Cruz.
Last Sunday, Bachelor of Science in Agriculture student Rey Bernard Peñaranda
was stabbed to death by a small group of robbers near the Barangay Malaking Bato
gate of the UPLB, raising a howl from the UP community over the lack of security
in the area.
Early this week, a cadaver of girl, apparently a rape-slay victim, was also
found near one of the UPLB gates. Last year, UPLB student Given Grace Sebanico
was robbed and later raped and killed near the campus.
Melad explained that the series of incidents only revealed that the police
force in Los Baños is not doing its mandated job.
"They have to be replaced, we need new personnel whom we can bank on, who
have new plans and ideas to solve this security problem in UP Los Baños area,"
said Melad.
He said he also directed Cruz to coordinate with the UP Los Baños leadership
in mapping out security measures, noting that uniformed and armed policemen are
not allowed to enter the campus as part of its academic regulation.
Cruz, for his part, said he had already requested the UP Los Banos leadership
to put more street lights around the campus, especially near the gates.
Cruz said the government is now offering a total of P200,000 for any
information that could lead to the arrest of the perpetrators behind the
rob-slay of Peñaranda.
The officials said P100,000 came from the Department of the Interior and
Local Government (DILG) while the other P100,000 from the provincial government
of Laguna.
Chief News Editor: Sol
Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE
NEWS ONLINE
All rights reserved
PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS
ONLINE [PHNO] WEBSITE
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