EDITORIAL — Actions and consequences

A sad development happened a few days ago after a student was killed in a robbery gone wrong in Cebu City.

John Lloyd de los Reyes Bejec, 18, from Dalaguete Town, was heading to his boarding house from school when he was held up and shot dead at past 10 p.m. last September 27, in Sitio Alumnus Asupwa, Barangay Basak-San Nicolas.

The suspect, Bryan Fernandez, 24, a resident of Sitio Tabay in adjacent Barangay Alumnus, was later arrested.

The suspect later told reporters that he only intended to rob the victim and not kill him, and that he was just startled when the victim seemed to resist, forcing him to shoot the victim.

He also said he only wanted money and anything he could sell so he could buy rice for his family.

While he claimed it was his first time to commit robbery, it was also found out that he had been in jail before for drugs.

As of this writing there was no way for us to determine if Fernandez didn’t really intend to harm Bejec or if he just wanted to provide for his family as he so claims.

But what is sure is that his family won’t exactly be proud of how he is “supporting” or “providing” for them.

Many who are collared for their crimes bring up sob stories about how they were forced into a life of crime perhaps as a way to justify their actions, to coax sympathy from the public, and perhaps even to get away with just a slap on the wrist now that they have been caught.

These stories are indeed sad, but there is no excuse that can justify delving into the world of crime and victimizing others just to feed your starving wife, family, or dog.

While criminals might feel justified in their actions, they should realize that their actions will also have consequences, especially if these result in someone’s death.