UST honor grad stabbed 49 times; 2 suspects nabbed

CAVITE, Philippines – "Police yesterday arrested the two suspects in the brutal killing of a University of Santo Tomas (UST) coed in Bacoor on Wednesday.

The suspects were identified as Rolin Gacita, 27, and his brother Roel, 24, both residents of Molino 3 in Bacoor.

Police said the brothers were identified by witnesses as the suspects in the killing of 20-year-old Cyrish Magalang, of Barangay Molino 3.

Magalang was found dead on Wednesday in a vacant lot in Gawaran Heights, Molino 7. The victim was hogtied and had 49 stab wounds. Her head was smashed almost beyond recognition.

Initial reports said the victim had been raped before she was killed, but police later said the suspects killed her when she resisted.

Magalang, a cum laude graduate from the College of Tourism and Hospitality Management in UST, was last seen riding a tricycle driven by Roel after buying puto bungbong, a native rice cake."

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=866233&publicationSubCategoryId=63

My wife is from this area. She passed through here on her way to university.

The obvious moral is that young ladies should be careful about getting into tricycles, unless they know the driver.

Unfortunately, very often, taking shabu seems to go with being a tricycle driver, so even if she knows him he may be out of his skull.

I think the level of brutality may be related to the "shabu" (methamphetamine) that both the driver and his brother had reportedly been taking. It is a cheap and widely used drug, espescially amongst tricycle (and other!) drivers, because in small doses it acts like caffeine, increasing alertness. Alas the doses do not stay small, it is addictive, and at high doses it increases aggression, libido and self confidence, to the point of a sense of invulnerability.

My wife has very extreme and low views of most tricycle drivers.
Yes, I know it's not reasonable, but she's more often proven correct.
It's gotten to the stage I will never use a tricycle if I'm alone. Sorry folks, just being honest.

I dont know if this true, but my wife seems to say it is, is that for many filipinos, at times, there isn't much of an alternative.

I think that she is sensible.

Tricycle driving is a badly paid, low status occupation, pretty much confined to young men who have dropped out of school. In the nature of things, tricycle drivers gather in places like the plaza of a small town, where they wait for fares, they get bored, they chat and all too often stuff like shabu gets passed around. My fiancee does use trikes, but she will call a driver that she knows, rather than take one off a rank.

Yes, good advice. My wife does the same. She admits there is still a small risk but .................

I am guessing that drugs are plentiful and cheap there, Oss?

Yes, my wife says this is along the same route that she took each day. She says she is so thankful that she used the route safely.

I also love bikes. Although I know at my age I'm in danger of being stereotyped.
My wife hates motorbikes, hence I lost my beloved HD years ago.
No way to get it into PI anyway. I was told. Lost a lost of money on that. If only I'd waited a bit longer.

To be honest I generally have some difficulty getting into to the smaller trike 'cabins', but refuse to climb on the rear seat of the driver.

Trike riding, over here, for all you bike lovers:

[video=youtube;9NAi6feAMOs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=9NAi6feAMOs[/video]


Sorry all, off-topic again.

LOL

Liked the Formby!

I also like bikes; my ex hated them so I celebrated my divorce by getting the blue K75 that I now have; fortunately Corina likes bikes - and I also like chairs - had a BSA M21 in the days of my youth - but sidecar racing is, if I recall correctly, THE most dangerous form of motor sport!

Seriously, my ex had a ne-er do well brother who became a trike driver and ended up getting seriously stabbed in an affray that was obviously barkada related. I think OSS's figures look about right, and given the awful hours worked in all weathers the temptation to "pop a little something" to keep you going" is perhaps understandable.As with other drugs, the pusher will sell the first few shots cheap... but it is highly addictive...

Unfortunately this is often the case.
Not always it has to be said.
We know some trike driver/owners in our local area of Marikina who are trustworthy and sensible.
Sadly remain rather poor despite their efforts. We help where we can. I think most folks do.

Its such hard work in that searing heat for those guys!