Student killed after watching concert

A 20-year-old college student was beaten up, stabbed and shot dead by at least 12 other students who did not take to his boisterous and wild antics during a school-sponsored concert Friday night in Ermita, Manila.

Frederick Vergara, an engineering student at Adamson University and a resident of Bagumbong, Caloocan City, died while undergoing treatment at the Philippine General Hospital.

He sustained multiple stab wounds and three gunshot wounds, aside from contusions in the body.

Police arrested two suspects identified as Grigor Ariston, 28, of Balic-Balic, Sampaloc, and Anthony Alesna, 23, also a student of Adamson University and a resident of Ermita.

Investigation conducted by SPO3 Radito Perez showed the attack on the victim took place past 11 p.m. following a rock concert sponsored by Adamson University.

The victim, together with three coeds, was waiting for a ride in front of the Sta. Isabel College along Taft Avenue when at least 12 people, said to be mostly students of Adamson University, surrounded him and took turns in punching him.

The victim managed to run, but was chased by the suspects, until one of them caught up with him and repeatedly stabbed him.

As he lay bloodied, another suspect took out a gun and fired three shots hitting the victim in the back and arm.

A mobile unit responded to the scene, resulting in the arrest of the two suspects. The others managed to run away.

Witnesses positively identified Ariston as the one who stabbed the victim, while Alesna was tagged as the gun wielder. However, police failed to recover the weapons.

Homicide section chief Senior Inspector Dominador Arevalo Jr. said the attack on the victim was precipitated by his wild antics during the concert.

"The suspects may have been irritated by his antics as some witnesses said the victim even climbed up the stage and danced wildly at the height of the concert," Arevalo said. — Nestor Etolle