Rape-slay victim's ma wants death penalty revived

MANILA, Philippines - The mother of a 13-year-old girl who was raped and murdered in San Juan City is seeking the death penalty for her daughter’s suspected killers.

“I really want to see the perpetrators of this crime to be executed. I want the death penalty revived and be reimposed against all rapists in our country,” Miriam Robles told The STAR yesterday.    

She said her daughter, Sheena Mae Robles, will be cremated at 1 p.m. today at the Hulo Cemetery crematorium. Miriam said Barangay Bagong Silang chairman Mark Dominguez sponsored her child’s cremation while Mandaluyong Mayor Benhur Abalos shouldered the wake and burial expenses.

“We decided to have her cremated because she was in an advanced stage of decomposition. We will bring her ashes to our house in Marikina. The last time I saw her was in January. We were about to transfer her to Marikina to join the entire family. She is the fourth among my six children and the only girl,” a teary-eyed Miriam told The STAR.

Sheena Mae was staying with her aunt, who had been putting her through school, when she disappeared on March 2. She told her aunt that she had to return a book she borrowed from a classmate.

Tricycle driver Peter Jucariza and barker Jeffrey Eleccion were charged with rape with homicide yesterday before the San Juan prosecutor’s office.

Jucariza said Sheena Mae knew Eleccion and they picked her up as she was walking along Haig street in Bagong Silang. He said they brought her to a vacant lot on F. Blumentritt street in San Juan, where Eleccion reportedly raped her, then smashed her skull with a rock.

Jucariza said they were both drunk when the crime was committed. Eleccion, who told police he found Sheena Mae’s body on March 6, denied Jucariza’s claims.

Miriam said Sheena Mae wanted to be a teacher “because she wanted to help other children.” She said she could not bear looking at what was done to her child – her head was smashed in, and she suffered broken forearms and ribs.

“What they have to my daughter was heinous. Her intestine protruded into her genitals and her face was decomposing. I could only imagine the difficulties that she had suffered from them (Jucariza and Eleccion),” she said.