Witness gets 3 months for failing to assist murdered high school girl

CEBU CITY—The lone witness in the killing of 15-year-old female student of Bulasa National High School in Argao town on Wednesday pleaded guilty to the lesser charges of abandonment or failure to render assistance to a person in danger.

Roweno “Roy” Saraosos, 41, entered a guilty plea during the arraignment at 10 a.m. inside the courtroom of Judge Leonardo P. Carreon of the Municipal Trial Court in Argao town, south of Cebu City.

The judge then sentenced Saraosos to three months imprisonment, said SP02 Meliton Agadier Jr. Agadier, investigator in the killing of Jezreel Higida, said Saraosos’ move to admit the crime did not surprise them.

Agadier said Saraosos indicated during the investigation that he would plead guilty of failing to assist the victim when two other suspects — Elmo Relativo, 24, and Raymond Albuera, 22, killed her in the morning of March 7.

Higida was walking toward her school in Bulasa when the two suspects grabbed her and hit her head with a rock.

Agadier said Saraosos also executed a judicial confession, which was used as basis in the filing of murder charges against Relativo and Albuera.

(Editor’s note: The reporter and the editor inadvertently stated that the penalty for Mr. Saraosos was three years instead of three months.)