UP student stabbed dead on campus

A graduating geology student was stabbed dead after resisting a holdup attempt at the campus grounds of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City the other night.

Police said Merwin Mendoza, a fifth year geology major at the College of Science, was escorting his girlfriend at around 9 p.m. last Thursday when three men, one of them wielding a fan knife, tried to take his bag.

Mendoza refused to let go of the bag as he struggled with one of the suspects.

This gave his girlfriend just enough time to run.

Mendoza, however, was stabbed once in the chest.

Roving security guards caught two the suspects, identified as Rodolfo Balae and Jericho Conde. The third suspect, identified as Aldy Asperas, was arrested in follow up police operation.

Police investigators are readying criminal charges against the suspects.

UP Diliman officials condemned yesterday the "brutal and senseless" killing of Mendoza.

"We are outraged by the killers’ brazen and capricious display of violence in stabbing a defenseless student for whatever material reward they had hoped to gain," UP Diliman Chancellor Sergio Cao said in a statement.

He said UP will not tolerate petty criminals "preying upon our constituents, terrorizing the community and taking yet another life."

"The recent transgression took the life of a promising young person. Worse, it is an assault on the sanctity of the University as an institution of higher learning," Cao said.

The University assured the victim’s family and the general public that it is taking possible steps to prevent similar incidents and is coordinating with the proper authorities.

"We condole with the Mendoza family and grieve over Merwin’s death," Cao said. "We vow to exert every effort to bring the killers to justice."

To address the pressing concerns affecting the peace and order situation, a Campus Security Summit will be convened in Diliman shortly after the Holy Week.