Thesa Marie Ygay: another victim of brutal killing

It is painful to imagine that a 14-year old beautiful lady who was supposed to be protected and loved but was brutally killed and buried in a septic tank.

Thesa Marie Ygay, 14, Grade 8 student and a resident of Barangay Tabok, Danao City, was found dead in a septic tank of Cogon Cruz Integrated School in Danao City, Monday morning, April 8. She suffered more than 30 defense and fatal wounds as per autopsy result conducted by the PNP.

The suspect is identified as Jessie Montes Medequillo, 34,  a security guard of the above-mentioned school and a resident of Barangay Tuburan Sur, Danao City. He is at large and subject of PNP’s hot pursuit operation.

Danao City Police Chief Maribelle Getingan revealed that last Saturday, April 6, the victim’s siblings reported to the police station that she was missing. The suspect’s fellow security guard also reported that he observed unusual actions of the suspect and that he noticed traces of blood at the guard house.
Since then the police was seriously looking for both the victim and the suspect as they were both missing. They received a call from the school’s utility personnel on Monday morning that there was a foul odor coming from the school’s septic tank, which led the recovery of the victim’s remains.

So far, all the circumstances and evidences will pinpoint the suspect as the author of the crime. The police focused on crime of passion as its angle, as the two were reportedly in a  romantic relationship.
The only problem of the police now is to find and arrest the suspect so he can answer the charges against him. All police stations within the province of Cebu are already alerted as they believe that the suspect has not crossed yet to other regions.

While it is understandable that people demand that justice will be properly served against the suspect, it is also unavoidable that we look at other angles of the incident. We want to know other contributory factors that resulted to the tragic end of the victim.

If we review the facts, the victim’s parents already separated their ways. Her mother is reportedly in Manila while her father is in Danao City. As per PNP investigation, the suspect and the victim’s father were friends. In fact, the suspect was the one who supported the victim since since she was 9 years old until this tragic incident.

Last month the suspect cut the victim’s hair short and burned some of her clothes after learning that she loitered around with friends. Such incident was even recorded in the barangay.

I don’t want to add more injury to the grieving parents and I don’t want to be judgmental as to their decision to separate ways, but why did they abandon their child? Why did they allow their 14-year old girl to be supported and sent to school by the security guard?

Why did they allow their girl to live-in together, as the facts suggest, with the person of opposite sex who is not even their relative?

Was the suspect’s act of cutting the victim’s hair short not enough warning for them?

This incident will go back to the discussion of responsible parenthood. May all parents reflect and get lessons out of this horror.