Suspect in Caloocan rob-rape-slay case had string of arrests as minor—police

MANILA, Philippines—One of the suspects in the robbery and rape-slay of a 26-year-old marketing officer of a hostel on the University of the Philippines campus in Diliman, Quezon City, had been arrested several times for stealing cars and for mugging people but was never jailed because he was only a minor.

SPO1 Noli Albis, case investigator, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that Erik Macaraan, now 18 years old, had brushes with the law since he was 16 years old, and had been apprehended several times on different occasions.

All those times, however, Macaraan was only turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development and was never given any other punishment.

“He was merely lectured. That was all,” Albis said.

Police have launched a manhunt for Macaraan and a man known as “Dandan,” whose real name, investigators said, was Ero Allid, for allegedly robbing, raping and strangling to death Jee Anne de Guzman in front of another robbery victim, Jerry Mañoto.

The crime took place in a dimly lit grassy area in Camarin, Caloocan City.

As of press time on Thursday, police were preparing to file charges against the two suspects.

Albis recalled that Macaraan would usually “escape (from the DSWD custody) then go back to what he was doing prior to his arrest,” Albis told the Inquirer.

Albis said Macaraan would not have worsened as a juvenile offender if there was a system to penalize minors who committed crimes.

Under the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006, children 15 years old and below are exempt from criminal liability, and those above 15 but below 18 years old are also exempted unless they acted “with discernment.”

Proposals pending in Congress seek to lower the minimum age of criminal liability to 9 years old.

Meanwhile, operatives said that Allid fled towards Malabon City when they went to his house in Phase 6, Camarin, Wednesday afternoon.

Cops who went to the house of Allid’s relatives in Potrero, Malabon, came home empty-handed.

Macaraan’s relatives have been helping investigators track down the 18-year-old, who has not returned home since the robbery and rape-slay of De Guzman, Albis said.