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Don't be Silent: Sophia Maria Coquilla's Death Should Call to Review (and Revise) R.A. 9344

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This should be another wake-up call. Many years ago, the Vizconde Massacre happened (and honestly, it's still an unsolved case). The crime happened at night, and until now, the suspects haven't been identified. It may no longer be the case with the late Sophia Marie G. Coquilla in Tagum City of Davao Del Norte. The incident happened on July 9, 2025. 

On July 11, 2025, Mayor Rey Uy of Tagum City, Davao, expressed his condolences. This should be a wake-up call that R.A. 9344 may have one serious flaw. This was also expressed in Sun Star from the same link I shared some time ago:
“Hi Sen. Kiko Pangilinan author of Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act 2006. Ang suspek 14 ug 17-anyos, unya unsaon naman ni ron? What the f**k gyod kaayo ng balaod nimo (Hi Sen. Kiko Pangilinan, author of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006. The suspects are 14 and 17 years old — what now? Your law is so f***ed up),” said one Leizel in a Facebook post caption.

Right now, Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan is back in the Senate. The guy might want to consider looking at the possible flaws in his law, which he authored last 2006. It may already be outdated and may have ended up protecting criminals in the process. For all we know, these minors may be working for a gang leader.

SEC. 6. Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility. - A child fifteen (15) years of age or under at the time of the commission of the offense shall be exempt from criminal liability. However, the child shall be subjected to an intervention program pursuant to Section 20 of this Act.

A child above fifteen (15) years but below eighteen (18) years of age shall likewise be exempt from criminal liability and be subjected to an intervention program, unless he/she has acted with discernment, in which case, such child shall be subjected to the appropriate proceedings in accordance with this Act.

The exemption from criminal liability herein established does not include exemption from civil liability, which shall be enforced in accordance with existing laws.

SEC. 7. Determination of Age. - The child in conflict with the law shall enjoy the presumption of minority. He/She shall enjoy all the rights of a child in conflict with the law until he/she is proven to be eighteen (18) years old or older. The age of a child may be determined from the child's birth certificate, baptismal certificate or any other pertinent documents. In the absence of these documents, age may be based on information from the child himself/herself, testimonies of other persons, the physical appearance of the child and other relevant evidence. In case of doubt as to the age of the child, it shall be resolved in his/her favor.

Any person contesting the age of the child in conflict with the law prior to the filing of the information in any appropriate court may file a case in a summary proceeding for the determination of age before the Family Court which shall decide the case within twenty-four (24) hours from receipt of the appropriate pleadings of all interested parties.

If a case has been fiied against the child in conflict with the law and is pending in the appropriate court, the person shall file a motion to determine the age of the child in the same court where the case is pending. Pending hearing on the said motion, proceedings on the main case shall be suspended.

In all proceedings, law enforcement officers, prosecutors, judges and other government officials concerned shall exert all efforts at determining the age of the child in conflict with the law.

MindaNews

This may already be a serious problem because criminals could take advantage of misguided minors. The faces are blurred above because they're minors. I may not be a lawyer, but it doesn't take a lawyer to realize that minors can be used by criminal groups! The MindaNews gives the following details:

The two suspects, both residents of Maragusan, Davao de Oro, were apprehended at a boarding house in Tagum City and are now facing charges of robbery with homicide.

Seized from the minors were items believed to have been stolen from Coquilla—an Apple laptop, an iPad, a damaged iPhone, and two wristwatches. Authorities also recovered a bloodstained butterfly knife and a kitchen knife suspected to have been used in the crime.

“Moangkon sab sila nga ubay-ubay na pod ilang gisaka nga mga balay” (They admitted having burglarized several houses), Frederick Deles, Tagum City Police Station officer-in-charge, said in a radio interview Thursday morning.

The incident occurred around 5 a.m. Wednesday inside the victim’s residence in Purok 3-A.

Deles said that two other suspects remain at large. An ongoing manhunt operation has been initiated to locate them.

The arrested minors were transferred to the custody of the Women and Children Protection Desk (WCPD) for appropriate intervention.

I could agree that certain criminal acts should be given appropriate intervention. However, this is just mere theft but also murder involved. Sure, the items they stole can be replaced, but what about the human life taken? It can no longer be replaced.

Speaking of which, I'm glad that CCTV footage was now used. The problem with the Chiong Sisters case was the lack of CCTVs in the 1990s. Most of the evidence was testimonial. That means witnesses can perfectly collaborate on a lie. If truthful witnesses could collaborate, then so can lying witnesses. The Brigada News gives this detail:

Two minors have been arrested in connection with the gruesome murder of a 21-year-old college student, Sophia Maria Coquilla, who was found dead with 38 stab wounds inside her home in Barangay La Filipina, Tagum City, Davao del Norte on July 9.

Police said Coquilla’s body was discovered by her parents early morning, still warm, suggesting the crime occurred around 5 a.m. Her gadgets and personal belongings were missing, indicating a robbery.

P/Lt. Col. Frederick Deles, acting Tagum City police chief, confirmed the arrest of a 14-year-old and a 17-year-old boy, both from Maragusan, Davao de Oro. The suspects were caught trying to flee the boarding house and were identified through their distinct red hair seen in CCTV footage.

So far, this is apparently two of the faces of those who did the murders. I couldn't help but have internal reactions to comments like, "Are these still minors?" There's the possibility that they're still minors but drug use (or worse, drug addiction) may have made them look older than their age. Don't judge a book by its cover? Well, better said, "Don't always judge a book by its cover." Sometimes, a book can be obviously nonsense by its cover. Sometimes, a book can have a nice cover but garbage content.

While I was studying at the University of San Carlos, I remember the time when the former Student Affairs Services head gave her stand. A lot of hooligans (often called bugoy) showed that the way you dress may reflect on your attitude. Of course, not everyone who is dressed decently is a good guy. Some people are a proverbial wolf in sheep's clothing. However, some red flags can show up like having gangster-style tattoos and bizarre hairstyles. A lot of people with hooligan dresses showed their hooligan behavior. Meanwhile, a lot of people who were decently dressed showed they were decent people. Would a decent person dress provocatively? 

As I look into the news, this is a real problem. Why do we still insist that "nothing is wrong with the justice system"? Right now, the CCTV footage caught might not be honored by the courts when the hearing happens. Just remember that the evidence that Francisco Juan Gonzalez Larrañaga was in Manila, was dismissed by the late Judge Martin Ocampo. Before that, retired judge Atty. Amelita G. Tolentino even refused to have a DNA test done on the semen found in the late Carmela Vizconde's corpse. What may not be so surprising is that the CCTV footage might get dismissed in favor of the two suspects.

This is truly frightening news! Don't politicize! It's time to share awareness. Don't be someone who just thinks, "Oh, whatever, it's not my problem." If it can happen to her, it might also happen to you!

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