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Makati police considered the killing of 18-year-old John Ernest Rivera already closed after all the five suspects, including three minors, were rounded up two days after the gang-related attack.
Follow-up operations on Feb. 11 led to the arrest of the two remaining members of Youth Scorpion Fraternity (YSF), who stabbed to death Rivera, a Grade 11 student of San Antonio National High School.
Both suspects are 16-year-old residents of Barangay Poblacion in Makati, and Barangay San Dionisio of Parañaque.
Recovered from them were 10-inch fan and folding knives which were used to stab Rivera five times causing his death.
On Feb. 10, Jim Leo Villaba and Earlberth Solera, both 19 years old and residents of San Antonio, Makati, surrendered to Makati police.
First to be arrested was another 16-year-old boy who was arrested in a follow up operation on Feb. 9, the same day Rivera was stabbed by his five schoolmates in front of their high school at the corner of Mayapis and Kaong Streets in Barangay San Antonio.
In a report submitted by Makati police chief Senior Supt. Gerardo Umayao, a witness saw the five YSF members waiting outside the school at 4:20 p.m. Feb. 9.
When Rivera arrived, one of the gang members punched him. A brawl ensued, with two of the members pulling out knives and stabbing Rivera repeatedly.
The victim was declared dead on arrival at the Santa Ana Hospital at 5:20 p.m. Sunday, eight days after he celebrated his 18th birthday on Feb. 1.
Umayao said in a previous report that the YSF members might have just “picked on” Rivera.
In a statement, Mayor Abby Binay condemned the “horrible act of violence,” and called it “very alarming that some of the suspects are still minors.”
Binay called for a unified action against “gang-related violence,” urging parents, school personnel and barangay workers to work with city police to protect the young Makatizens.
“Let us not allow all our efforts to provide quality education for our children go to waste, and prevent such a senseless death from happening again,” she said.
Binay also expressed condolences to the family and provided financial assistance for Rivera’s funeral.
The mayor said she would closely monitor the case until all the culprits would have been meted out justice.
Villana and Solera were detained at Makati police station and charged with murder, while the minors were to be turned over to the city social welfare and development office. /cbb