Faces of the news

Lorenza delos Santos

Her son, Kian Loyd delos Santos, was buried yesterday. By now, most Filipinos know by heart the chilling circumstances of his killing. The 17-year-old Grade 12 student was dragged from their home in Caloocan at night, a scene captured by a CCTV camera, and shot in the back in a dark alley by policemen on suspicion he was a drug courier. He pleaded with his captors, saying he had a major exam the next day, but to no avail. His killing has thrown the country in a tumult, prodded the Church to toll the bells at night, and sparked outrage online and on the streets. And so Lorenza delos Santos’ anguish and cry for justice have become the nation’s, too. A domestic helper in Saudi Arabia, she rushed home after her daughter informed her through a Facebook post that Kian had been shot dead by policemen during an antidrug operation. She has vowed to seek justice for Kian no matter what it takes.

Nilo ‘Small’ Abellera Jr.

From small to nothing. Thus, reporters described Davao City Councilor Nilo “Small” Abellera Jr., who became scarce, following revelations in a Senate hearing that he received P5 million in cash as “enrollment fee” to help smuggle into the country P6.4 billion worth of “shabu.” But this was not the first time that the third-termer councilor, 43, has been questioned. In 2011, then Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte lambasted some councilors in his TV program for allegedly mulcting money from developers. Duterte did not name names but Abellera resigned as chair of the council’s committee on trade, commerce and industry to give way to an investigation. No investigation pushed through. A son of a former councilor, Small first ran as councilor in 2010 when his father retired from politics. His second and third terms jibe with Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte’s terms as presiding officer of the City Council.

Isidro Lapeña

He has a lot on his plate, and he hasn’t taken over the top post of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) yet. A few days after President Duterte named Isidro Lapeña as a replacement for embattled Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon, Sen. Panfilo Lacson washed BOC’s dirty laundry in public. In a privilege speech on Wednesday, Lacson alleged that BOC officials, from Faeldon down to the lowest-level functionary, were on the take from brokers in a symbiotic relationship in the “most corrupt agency.” Then he dropped the bombshell: Faeldon was welcomed with P100 million, a charge the latter denied. The next day, Faeldon turned the tables on Lacson, alleging that the senator’s son, Panfilo Jr., undervalued the freight cost of four shipments of cement. And Congress wasn’t even done yet with its inquiry into the smuggling of P6.4-billion crystal meth from China.

Nikko Huelgas and Kim Mangrobang

Filipino triathletes put on a show again as Nikko Huelgas and Kim Mangrobang spearheaded the country’s sheer dominance in the grueling swim-bike-run competition in the 29th Southeast Asian Games. Huelgas successfully defended his title with a time of one hour, 59 minutes and two seconds as the Philippines finished 1-2 in the men’s event with John Chicano also claiming silver. The 25-year-old Mangrobang bagged the women’s gold medal for the first time with a 2:11:14 clocking after beating out teammate Claire Adorna, the 2015 edition champion who settled for silver. “We have delivered the best result for triathlon ever,” said the 26-year-old Huelgas after the Philippines completed its second golden sweep in the biennial competition. “Definitely, I want to compete again. I’d do it in a heartbeat.”

Trenten Anthony Beram

A double gold winner right on his Southeast Games debut, Trenten Anthony Beram turned into an instant track star. A virtual unknown, the Filipino-American shocked the regional field with his sensational performances in the 200-meter sprint (20.96 seconds) and 400-m run (46.39 seconds). “Nobody knows me so it is good to put my name out there,” said Beram, whose mother, Nena, hails from Cebu City. Beram, who wasn’t even in the recruitment radar, made it to the Philippine team as a walk-in applicant who worked to obtain dual citizenship. Off track, this jock can be a nerd as Beram is also a math major at the University of Connecticut in the United States. But for now, academics takes a backseat—just temporarily, anyway—as Beram wants to help the Philippines’ future international campaigns in athletics. “This is only the beginning,” he said.

Kaitlin de Guzman

When gymnast Kaitlin de Guzman captured a gold in the Southeast Asian Games, the winning feeling felt all too familiar to her mother Cintamoni dela Cruz-de Guzman. The lithe 17-year-old ruled the uneven bars, the same event Cintamoni won 22 years ago. “It’s in the genes,” Cintamoni said. Although she still cherishes that golden moment in the 1995 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, Cintamoni said she’s now just a proud mom. And rightfully so as Kaitlin triumphed right on her SEA Games debut, beating out Malaysian favorite Tracie Ang, while also picking up a silver in the floor exercise event. The victory came as a surprise for Kaitlin, who only learned four months ago that she’s eligible to represent the Philippines. The De Guzmans relocated to Texas when Kaitlin was just 8. “All we were hoping is for her to qualify in the finals,” Cintamoni said.