A year after Baguio massacre, relatives rue slow pace of justice

BAGUIO CITY -- Monday marked the first anniversary of the gruesome massacre of five persons, including three children, in their house here at Barangay Hilltop.

And relatives of the victims, who were all bludgeoned to death allegedly by a lone attacker, are rueing the slow pace that the wheels of justice have turned.

This, despite the marathon hearings being conducted at Regional Trial Court Branch 4 presided over by Judge Mia Joy Cawed where the five counts of murder were filed by the Baguio City Police Office against Philip Tolentino Avino, 31, also known as Michael Geronimo.

A year ago on April 6, at around 6:30 p.m., Vilma Nociete found inside her family’s rented room at the fourth floor of Third Kayang-Hilltop St., the bloodied bodies of her two children – Jacquelyn, 19 and Joey,7, – and that of their house maid Jonalyn Lozano,31.

Also found dead were Joey’s playmates Dave John de Guzman, 7 and Raymond Delmundo, 9.

“Nababagalan kami, madalasang postpone sa hearing, pero malaki ang pag-asa namin at kami ay umaasa na mabibigyan ng katarungan ang pagpatay sa aming anak at sa iba pa. Siguro matatahimik lamang kami kapag tuluyan ng makulong ng habambuhay ang suspek,” said Joey Nociete, Sr.

Domeng de Guzman, Dave John’s father said that everytime he saw the suspect, he could not understand the anger he felt with how painful the death of his son was.

“Akala naming matatapos sa isang taon ang kaso, hindi lang kami hirap sa pag-aantay ng hustisya, kundi hirap na din kami sa pinansyal. Sa totoo lang hindi ko pa matanggap ang pagkawala ng aking anak, na namatay ng walang dahilan,” de Guzman said.

The families said that, despite the marathon hearings, they have continued to grieve and can’t help but feel dismayed over the slow resolution of the case.

Base on the autopsy conducted by Dr. Jaime Rodrigo Leal, medico legal officer of the Crime Laboratory Service-Cordillera, Jacqueline Nociete suffered 17 stab wounds in the chest and back with eight of them fatal; her brother Joey sustained 15 stab wounds, all in the back with six being fatal; Dave John suffered eight stab wounds in the chest and back with four being fatal; Raymond suffered five stab wounds on the back, three of them fatal; and the housemaid Jonalyn sustained 13 stab wounds in the neck, abdomen, chest, and back, nine of which were fatal.

In the past hearings, 15 of the prosecution witnesses, who have executed their affidavits, have already been presented. Among those who stood as witness were police officers, crime laboratory personnel, the parents and others who testified on the pieces of evidence recovered, including the DNA testing conducted on the suspect.