UST honor grad stabbed 49 times; 2 suspects nabbed

CAVITE, Philippines – Police yesterday arrested the two suspects in the brutal killing of a University of Santo Tomas (UST) coed in Bacoor on Wednesday.

The suspects were identified as Rolin Gacita, 27, and his brother Roel, 24, both residents of Molino 3 in Bacoor.

Police said the brothers were identified by witnesses as the suspects in the killing of 20-year-old Cyrish Magalang, of Barangay Molino 3.

Magalang was found dead on Wednesday in a vacant lot in Gawaran Heights, Molino 7. The victim was hogtied and had 49 stab wounds. Her head was smashed almost beyond recognition.

Initial reports said the victim had been raped before she was killed, but police later said the suspects killed her when she resisted. 

Magalang, a cum laude graduate from the College of Tourism and Hospitality Management in UST, was last seen riding a tricycle driven by Roel after buying puto bungbong, a native rice cake.

Police recovered several personal items of the victim at the residence of the suspects. The screwdriver allegedly used in the murder, the bloodied a concrete hollow block allegedly used in smashing the victim’s head and even the native rice cake bought by the victim before she was killed were recovered at the crime scene.

“The suspects’ motives was only to rob the victim, however, Magalang tried to resist, prompting the suspects to stab her 49 times and dump her body in an abandoned nipa hut in Gawaran Heights in Barangay Molino 7,” Bacoor police chief senior Superintendent Romano Cardiño said.

Cardiño said Rolin caught up with his younger brother Roel who was driving the tricycle with the victim as passenger.

He said Rolin repeatedly stabbed Magalang with a screwdriver inside the tricycle in trying to prevent the victim from escaping and seeking help.

Rolin later admitted killing Magalang by stabbing her but denied raping the victim.

Rolin claimed he was confused and distraught after having an argument with his wife.

“I was drunk and took some drugs which is why I committed the crime,” he told reporters in Filipino.

He also admitted finishing off Magalang by bashing her head with a concrete block.

Roel, however, insisted that his elder brother had nothing to do with the crime. He said he had planned to just rob the victim and brought along his elder brother.

Rolin though insisted both of them took shabu.

Asked if he raped Magalang, Rolin said he managed to pull down her shorts but the victim still resisted and shouted, forcing him to stab her repeatedly to keep her quiet.

Rolin expressed remorse and asked forgiveness from the family of the victim.

“I am sorry for what I did. I am asking for forgiveness from the family. I will accept any punishment for what I did, all I ask is forgiveness,” Rolin said.

Cavite police director Senior Superintendent John Bulalacao assured the family that justice will be served for the gruesome murder of their daughter.

“They admitted that they were under the influence of drugs and lost control of themselves. For now, all they have to do is face justice for what they did,” he said.

Bulalacao said the Gacita brothers would be charged with robbery with homicide.