MARY ANN CASTRO /CDN File Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines – She may have led a controversial and colorful life in her career as an assistant prosecutor in Cebu City.
But behind the stories involving her, Mary Ann Castro was always the ever-supportive mother, sister, and a daughter who would never miss a family appointment.
In an interview with Cebu Daily News Digital columnist and lawyer Ruphil Bañoc for Straight to the Point over dyHP on Saturday, Monique Castro Roa said it was her mother who inspired her to pursue a degree in law.
Roa was with her grandmother, Helen Castro, and her uncle, Mariven Castro during the live, radio interview.
Roa told Bañoc that her mother was excited and ready to book plane tickets bound for Manila for their relatives in Cebu and Clarin, Misamis Occidental so they could watch her obtain a degree in law from the University of the Philippines College of Law.
“Her (Castro) biggest source of excitement was for me to finish law school this June, and take the bar this November. She was ready to book our tickets but then it (death) happened,” said Roa.
READ: WHO WANTED MARY ANN CASTRO DEAD?
SOCO personnel examine the crime scene where former Cebu City Prosecutor Mary Ann Castro was shot dead.
She said the last time she was with her mother was on January 6, when Roa was heading for Manila after spending her holidays in Cebu.
“She is always looking forward to my graduation, and to take the bar,” she added.
Castro was the eldest of four children. She was born in Clarin, a sleepy town in Misamis Occidental in Mindanao with a population of around 34,000. Her mother, Helen, said the family eventually moved to Cebu City where they spent most of their lives.
Helen said Castro was supposedly bound for Clarin to celebrate the town’s annual fiesta on January 18 but plans came to a halt when they received the news that she was killed on January 17 along Escario Street, Cebu City.
“Miingon siya nga ‘Ma, gimingaw nako ninyo. Anhi namo sa Cebu.’ Ingon ko: ‘Dae, fiesta man sa Clarin.’ Mao to nga niana siya muapas daw siya. Mularga man to siya balik (Clarin) sa January 18 unya nahitabo man,” said Helen.
Mariven, Castro’s younger brother, added that at the time of his sister’s death, the yellow Nissan Juke she owned was still a month-old. He said Castro was excited to buy the new car in December 2018, and then gave her old Toyota Fortuner to him.
“Last namong kita katong November 14, niabot ko gikan sa gawas. Katong iyahang pinakadugay nga sakyanan, Fortuner to siya, iyahang gihatag sa akoa… Excited siya mupalit ug bag-o mao nga nakapalit siya ug Nissan Juke. One month na nang sakyanan (Juke) sa iyaha,” said Mariven.
Castro’s remains were buried in Clarin, Misamis Occidental last January 26.
READ: IBP Condemns Castro killing
Roa said their family decided to bring their mother to her birthplace, a plan Castro herself had in her mind.
“The family was able to mourn and grieve in privacy. Gusto siya malubong sa Clarin in Misamis Occidental, and she said that in passing. So, we decided to bring her back to her hometown,” said Roa.
“If you knew my mom, she was really a jolly person, and she even said, also in passing, that she wanted to die beautiful,” she added./ elb