Having walked alone in an isolated grassy area that leads to her school in Argao town for years now, Jezreel Higida isn’t too concerned that somewhere, someone out there is out to harm her.
So did her teacher, who told reporters that Higida had never been absent in class unless she sent word in advance that she won’t be able to attend that day. Higida never did notify her teacher about her absence on the last day that she would spend alive in this world.
Higida’s death at the hands of Raymond Albuera and Elmo Relatibo, who were drunk and high on drugs, shocked the usually tranquil town of Argao who count among its esteemed citizens former chief justice Hilario Davide Jr. and former Provincial Board member Antonio Almirante, who passed away at the ripe old age of 86 years old last Tuesday.
Higida, an honor student, may not have dreamed of being as famous and established as these men of distinction, but one can hardly doubt that she wanted to have a better life, a life helping her father Conrado who had just lost his wife a few months back to a lingering illness.
Higida has a lot more opportunities to live a full life but she lost it to a couple of men older than her who should have known better than to consume both drugs and drink.
That she wasn’t raped is no consolation to the fact that she was brutally murdered and dumped like an animal in a pit by two men too drunk and too high to see, much less understand the grievous, heinous crime they’ve just committed.
As it is, Conrado suffered a double loss and his latest misfortune is all the more heartrending since it ended in violence. In a speech after a unity walk to demand justice for Higida, school principal Cresente Piñol called on parents to watch over their children and just as importantly, report on relatives who are using drugs.
Albuera is said to be related to the victim while Relatibo is related to a barangay tanod. Since they lived in an isolated area, the few people who live nearest to the homes of the suspects can hardly be expected to know, let alone bother to verify if they are using drugs.
In fact one of them said they didn’t hear any cries for help just as the two men were said to have struck Higida repeatedly with a hard object, believed to be a huge rock that was later found to be stained with blood. Her blood.
That still doesn’t excuse the people who could have done more to keep the place safer for students like Higida.
More importantly, the municipal government of Argao and the provincial government should do something to bring schools nearer to their students. Local officials there should foster cooperation from the community to monitor and report to the police people with suspicious behavior.
How many more students like Higida would have to take their chances traveling areas secluded from nearby sources of help before local officials take action?
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