15-year-old Jezreel Higida, a Grade 8 student, will never see her dreams fulfilled after she was beaten up by two men, dragged and thrown into a pit while on her way to Bulasa National High School last Monday; but her death may yet pave the way for other children in Argao to have their own dreams fulfilled.
“We hope that no other student will be victimized by this kind of violence,” said Imelda Gealon, spokesperson of the Association of Learning Institutions in Argao (ALIA), a group spearheading a “Walk for Justice” on March 12 to ensure that Jezreel’s killers suffer the brunt of their brutality as Argawanons finally rise up against the town’s illegal drug problems that have long existed.
The walk will start at the Argao town plaza and will end at the sports complex where a short program will be held. A Facebook campaign with an online poster “Walk for Justice, Walk for Jezreel” was also launched to get more people to join the march.
Earlier, Argao Mayor Edsel Galeos and other town officials met with ALIA members to discuss the event which is expected to bring together Argawanons from all walks of life, setting aside political affiliations and differences for a day to walk for Jezreel.
“This should not only be participated by our sector but everyone should join,” Gealon said.
During the meeting, the safety of students especially in upland areas was raised. ALIA officials asked Mayor Galeos to assign barangay tanods to secure students early in the morning and in the afternoon when classes are dismissed.
Gealon said that drug symposia in barangays and police presence should be intensified in their efforts to fight the rising cases of illegal drugs in the town.
“It always goes back to the cause. Crimes are often caused by illegal drug abuse,” said Gealon.
In a grassy secluded area in the uplands of Argao, Jezreel was attacked by suspects Raymond Albuera, 22, and Elmo Relatibo, 24, last Monday.
The two reportedly came from a drinking session and were high on illegal drugs when they saw Jezreel walking alone on her way to school. In what could have been a sudden rush of adrenalin spurred by the drugs, Albuera and Relatibo repeatedly struck the grade eight student on the head using a stone.
Murder charges against the suspects have already been filed before the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.
A separate case for abandonment was filed against Roweno Saorosos, 41, for failing to help the victim. Saorosos claimed that he saw what happened while tending to livestock near the area.
At the Provincial Capitol, Vice Governor Agnes Magpale directed the Provincial Women’s Commission (PWC) to provide legal assistance to the family of Jezreel pending trial in court; while Governor Hilario Davide III already ordered the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office to pay for the funeral expenses of the grade eight student.
Before losing a child this week, Jezreel’s father, 51-year old Conrado, also lost his wife, Jezreel’s mother, to a lingering illness just ten months ago.