Two get life for rape-slay

A Parañaque City judge sentenced to life imprisonment two men for raping and killing a La Salle student five years ago.

Judge Raul de Leon, of the Parañaque Regional Trial Court Branch 258, found Nieves Constancio and Ernesto Berry guilty of raping and killing 21-year-old Claudine Mabel Feliciano in 2001.

"It appears that the acts of the accused clearly indicate a joint purpose, a unity of action and the concurrence of sentiments… It cannot be denied that all the accused conspired and confederated with one another, thus conspiracy has been sufficiently established by the prosecution," De Leon stated in his ruling.

According to court records, Feliciano went to Alabang Town Center with her friends to watch a movie on March 11, 2001.

Her dead body was later found beside a creek in Barangay San Antonio Village in Parañaque.

Police found that she was raped and strangled to death before her body was dumped. Her car was recovered in Makati City.

A witness had identified Berry as one of those who dumped the victim’s body. Berry confessed after his arrest and led policemen to his cohorts.

One of his co-accused, Donardo Pagkalinawan, was acquitted because the prosecutors failed to prove his guilt beyond reasonable doubt.