DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Sophia Marie Coquilla was 19 years old, an honor student of Ateneo de Davao Senior High in 2024 who had finished her freshman term as an economics major at the University of the Philippines Diliman. Last July 9, she was found dead in her home in Barangay La Filipina, Tagum City with 38 stab wounds.
Tagum City Police have arrested four suspects in the following days after identifying them through CCTV footage where they were spotted to have frequented around the Coquilla residence in the days leading to the incident.
Three of the suspects are minors, ages 14, 15 and 17. The last suspect, the alleged alias Royroy, was caught in Agdao, Davao City.
Police found items from the suspects that were identified to have belonged to Coquilla, including laptop, a cellphone and a watch. Reports said police identified weapons used during the incident, including a knife and a grasscutter.
In a Rappler report, Tagum police chief Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Deles said the 17-year old suspect told investigators that he and the leader took turns stabbing Coquilla after she was awakened by their break-in. The suspect said they were intoxicated.
The 14-year old suspect will not face criminal charges, being a minor protected by the Juvenile Justice Law, but the three others would be charged with homicide and robbery.
Authorities are now going through the process to have the minors placed under custody at the Regional Rehabilitation Center for Youth (RRCY) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD-11) as the case progresses.
Statements were released by the Ateneo de Davao High School and UP School School of Economics (UPSE) offering condolences to the family of Coquilla.
“Sophia’s kindness, brilliance, and gentle spirit touched many. Her loss is felt across our university community,” the Ateneo statement said. “Nobody deserves for their life to be taken away from them. Justice shall prevail for Sophia and her family.” https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1FweaL4MVd/
The UPSCE administration also said they had opened psychosocial support and crisis counselling to friends of Coquilla grieving from this incident.
The murder of Coquilla has sparked discussions again online about the Juvenile Justice Law. Netizens criticized the law for having been lenient in exacting justice on minors caught in crimes.
Critics and Senator Robin Padilla have called for the review to amend the law to lower the age of criminal liability.
Senator Francis Pangilinan, who authored the law, defended this measure saying this was designed to protect children from harsh conditions in detention and work towards their rehabilitation and reintegration into society. The senator said the problem lies in the lack of funding for rehabilitation centers.
Sophia Coquilla was buried last July 15. Her father was interviewed by a local radio station saying they family is open to forgive the youth of their crime.(davaotoday.com)
