Grieving family of slain caroler seeks justice

The family of “Bella”, the five-year-old girl who was killed and raped while caroling in Santo Tomas, Batangas expressed their anger after the brutal crime that took her life. 

In John Consulta’s report in “24 Oras” on Tuesday, Marivic Caspe said the suspects are monsters for what they did to the young girl. 

Caspe became the mother of Bella after she lost her single mom when she was only nine months old. 

“Hindi siya tao, hayop siya, demonyo siya,” she said. “Hindi talaga siya tao dahil kung tao siya, hindi niya gawain.” 

(The person who did this is not human; he is an animal, he is a demon," she said. "He really isn't human because if he were, he wouldn't do such things.) 

Caspe said that she was worried whenever Bella went out caroling, fearing that the child could be bitten by a stray dog. But what happened to her was worse than anything a dog is capable of. 

CCTV showed Bella enter a house last Friday, December 19 while caroling. She was later found dead inside a sack the following day. The two suspects were immediately arrested and also admitted to raping the girl after they killed her. 

The 22-year-old suspect said that they were high on illegal drugs when they committed the crime.

The suspect said the girl had gone to their house several times to do caroling. He said that he and the other suspect had long planned to commit the crime, the report said. 

“Pagkakanta po, pinapasok ko na po sa loob. Pagpasok ay bibigyan ko ng pera, nakita niya na nagamit po kami. Gusto na po umalis, sumisigaw at umiiyak po yung bata,” he said. 

(After she sang, I let her inside. Once inside, I was going to give her money, but she saw us using [drugs]. The child wanted to leave; she was screaming and crying.) 

He also recalled that the other suspect slammed the girl’s head before they raped her. They strangled her to death using a cellphone charger cord. He claimed the other suspect still raped the now lifeless victim. 

“Atin pong bibigyan ng instruction yung hepe ng Sto. Tomas [Police] na lahat ng ebidensya ay kanilang masusing titignan para hindi na makakawala itong mga suspects na ito,” said Police Regional Office-4A regional director Brigadier General Paul Kenneth Lucas. 

(We will give instructions to the chief of the Sto. Tomas Police to meticulously examine all evidence so that these suspects cannot escape [justice].) 

The city government of Sto Tomas, Batangas condemned the incident and said that it has provided burial assistance for Bella. 

Meanwhile, some personnel of the PRO-4A visited homes in the area of the incident to inform parents on how to help prevent their children from being abused. 

“Maging alerto po sila. Ingatan nila ang kanilang mga anak. Huwag po ipagkatiwala kahit kanino,” said PRO-4A Regional Community Affairs and Development chief Captain Maribel Sarmiento. 

(They should remain alert. They must look after their children. Do not entrust them to just anyone.) — Vince Angelo Ferreras/RF, GMA Integrated News