UP student leader robbed, stabbed inside Diliman campus

A student leader of the University of the Philippines was seriously injured after she was robbed and stabbed right inside an office at the UP campus in Quezon City Wednesday afternoon.

 

Campus police arrested one of at least two suspects in the crime, after noticing he was acting suspiciously, according to a report on dzBB radio early Thursday.

 

The UP student, identified as Lordei Camille Hina, a fourth year Political Science major, was rushed to the Capitol Medical Center after she was stabbed by the suspects.

 

Hina is also the secretary-general of UP student organization Center for Nationalist Studies (CNS), UP's Philippine Collegian reported.

 

While the dzBB report said there were two suspects in the crime, the Collegian said there may have been up to four suspects.

 

The incident occurred inside the University Student Council office in Vinzons Hall.

 

The Collegian report identified the arrested suspect as Carlo Pecayo, 35. Pecayo denied involvement in the crime, the dzBB report added.

 

Found in Pecayo's possession was a bag with two laptop computers and an ice pick. Pecayo could face charges of robbery and frustrated homicide.

 

A manhunt is now on for the three other suspects, one of whom was identified as Dante Santos.

 

Investigation showed the suspects went to the USC office and claimed to be tattoo artists, and asked about the schedule of the UP Fair before attacking Hina.

 

Collegian account

 

The Philippine Collegian account cited CMC doctors' medical reports indicating Hina was hit with an ice pick above the left temple, causing a fracture to her skull and making her lose consciousness.

 

Collegian quoted a friend and fellow CNS member of Hina who requested anonymity who said she was with Hina at around noon at the USC office for some paperwork when Pecayo and Santos arrived. 

 

The two men inquired about getting a booth at the upcoming UP Fair, saying they were members of a group of tattoo artists.

 

The two women gave Pecayo and Santos the phone number of the person in charge of the UP Fair booths, and the men left shortly after.

 

Pecayo came back at around 2 p.m. claiming he will wait for the said person in charge, saying he got to talk to the person already.

 

Hina’s friend left the USC office at 2:30 p.m. to buy food, leaving Hina alone.

 

Hina then sent her friend text messages at around 3 p.m. asking her to come back. “Umakyat ka na rito. Andito na naman si kuya. Ang dami niyang tanong, hindi ko naman alam,” the text message went.

 

When Hina’s friend arrived at the USC office at around 3:30 p.m., she found it locked and Hina was not answering the door.

 

Upon getting inside, she found Hina on the floor, her face and upper body covered in blood.

 

Hina was then brought to the UP Health Service by her friend and other students.

 

A security guard at Vinzons Hall, Gerry Docto, said he saw Pecayo leaving the area at around 3:15 p.m. and accosted him since he was carrying a backpack which he did not have with him on his way up.

 

Pecayo then ran and hailed a taxi, but Docto was able to write down the taxi’s plate number and report it to the UP Diliman Police.

 

The taxi was intercepted by roving guards along Guerrero Street in front of Asian Center.

 

Following the incident, UP heightened security measures on campus, especially at Vinzons Hall. –KG, GMA News