Slain UP Los Baños student laid to rest in Rizal

TANAY, Rizal, Philippines – The 19-year-old BS Agriculture student of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), who was killed in a robbery pulled off by three men last Sunday in Laguna, was laid to rest yesterday.

A Mass was officiated by Rev. Fr. Bong Sanchez at the St. Jude Thaddeus chapel in Barangay Sampaloc here before the remains of Ray Bernard Peñaranda were buried at the Haven of Rest past noon yesterday.

In his homily, Fr. Sanchez consoled Peñaranda’s parents, saying their son “died so others may live.’’

The priest added that had it not for Peñaranda, one of his two companions at that time could have been killed.

“He offered his life to save others. He is now in heaven and is happy looking at us,’’ he said.

Peñaranda’s fellow UPLB students and friends wore white shirts with the words “Justice for Bernard” and “We will never forget.”

“We might have lost a son but we know that we already have an angel who would be guiding us,” said Peñaranda’s father German, an agriculturist.

“I hope this is the last. I wish that our son’s death would end the violence and other crimes perpetrated against students of UPLB and other schools,” he told The STAR.

Peñaranda’s mother, Flordeliza, 52, also an agriculturist, believes that justice will be given to them as the three suspects are now in police custody.

Meanwhile, at least six Los Baños policemen said to be the coddlers of the three suspects in the killing of Peñaranda are under investigation.

Chief Superintendent James Melad, Calabarzon police director, said several members of the Los Baños police serve as protectors of criminal gangs in the area.

Melad ordered Senior Superintendent Gilbert Cruz, Laguna police director, to go after the policemen-protectors of Tyrone Terbio, Joseph Beltran, and Carl Dactil de Guzman, the suspects in Peñaranda’s killing.

Cruz, however, refused to identify the policemen pending the results of the investigation.

Cruz earlier had relieved 53 policemen, including the chief of Los Baños police, in connection with the killing of Peñaranda.

Police yesterday described the Peñaranda case as “solved” with the arrest of the three suspects and the filing of robbery with homicide charges against them. – With Ed Amoroso