San Juan rape-slay victim's siblings to get scholarships

MANILA, Philippines - San Juan Mayor Guia Gomez said yesterday she will give educational scholarships to the two of the five siblings of 13-year-old Sheena Mae Robles, who was raped and killed allegedly by a tricycle driver and a jeepney barker last March 2.

“As a mother, I could feel how difficult it is to be in such a situation. She (Sheena Mae) should not have died in vain,” Gomez told The STAR.

She said she will ask Sheena Mae’s mother, Miriam, who among the victim’s five siblings, she wants to receive scholarship grants. Miriam is due to give birth to her seventh child this month.

“We will see who among the five siblings of the victim has potential. I will include at least two of them in my educational scholarships. We will ask the grades and ages of the children. We will support their education until college, until they graduate,” Gomez said.

Gomez said tricycle driver Peter Jucariza – who said barker Jeffrey Eleccion allegedly raped and killed Sheena Mae on March 2 – had his license revoked for driving an unregistered tricycle in San Juan.

Eleccion, who claimed he found Sheena Mae’s body on March 6 when he went to a vacant lot to relieve himself, denied Jucariza’s allegations.

San Juan Councilor Warren Villa, who attended Sheena Mae’s cremation yesterday, said he will file a resolution before the city council tomorrow to grant financial assistance of P30,000 to P50,000 to the victim’s family.

The suspects and the victim’s mother are also set to be presented before Gomez tomorrow morning.

Mary Joyce Yamzon, a member of the General Parents Teachers Association who attended Sheena Mae’s cremation along with other GPTA members, said the victim told her adviser about a tricycle driver who used to fetch her from school and bring her to her house everyday.

Sheena Mae’s aunt, Margie Robles, who had shouldered her school expenses, said they will keep her niece’s urn at their house in Barangay Bagong Silang, Mandaluyong City to observe rites for the ninth and 40th day after the victim’s death.