Killer of actress’ ma gets 40 years

MANILA, Philippines - The man who confessed to killing the mother of actress Cherry Pie Picache on Sept. 19, 2014 was convicted of robbery with homicide yesterday and sentenced to serve 40 years in prison.

In a 12-page decision, Judge Alfonso Ruiz II said Michael Flores’ “extrajudicial confession” is enough to convict him unless he later proves that the confession “was given as a result of violence, intimidation, threat or promise of reward or leniency.”

Ruiz also ordered Flores indemnify the victim’s heirs P1,245,615 for actual damages, P50,000 for civil damages and another P50,000 for moral damages.

Flores pleaded guilty during his arraignment on Oct. 23, 2014. 

His confession was executed on Oct. 9, 2014 with the help of lawyer Oscar Karaan at the office of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines.

Ruiz said even without the confession, Flores would still be convicted due to the evidence and circumstances linking him to Zenaida Sison’s killing, such as that he worked as the victim’s part-time cleaner and acquired knowledge of the house.

The judge also cited that Flores’ footprints were found at the crime scene; the clothes he wore a few hours prior to the killing were found at the scene of the crime; he tried to convince another person to rob a house on Sept. 18, 2014; he fled after the killing; and Sison’s mobile phone and jewelry were found in his possession.

Flores admitted he was high on drugs when he broke into Sison’s house.

He said he climbed over the gate and used a screwdriver to force the main door open.

Upon getting into the house, he said he took a kitchen knife and used it to open the drawer in Sison’s bedroom.

Despite admitting the crime, Flores did not go into detail on how he killed Sison. He only said he passed out and saw Sison was dead when he woke up.

When he realized that Sison was dead, he decided to escape. Flores insisted that he only intended to rob the house, not kill Sison.

Flores hid in Baguio and then in Laguna, where he was arrested by police on Oct. 7, 2014. 

Picache and her brother, Erwin Herrera, were present during the promulgation. They were seen wearing orange shirts in memory of their mother.

Picache, who said they were expecting the promulgation next year, said the ruling is an “early Christmas gift” for their family.

“We only hope that we both move on into healing, us as victims and him as an offender.  He got reclusion perpetua… in that duration we hope that he can finally realize and accept the evil he has done,” she said.