Siquijor killer of 2 women gets double prison terms

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines — Michael Manayon, the suspect behind the killing of 21-year-old Jan Nicole “Nikki” Piñero and 17-year-old Lorraine Ramirez, was sentenced with double reclusion perpetua terms without parole by the Regional Trial Court-Branch 46 in Larena town, Siquijor.

Aside from these double jail terms, the RTC also ordered Manayon to pay a total of P685,000 in moral damages and litigation expenses with six percent interest per year.

The court found the 34-year-old Manayon guilty of two counts of murder after he stabbed the two women to death during a longboarding tournament at a beach resort in San Juan town, Siquijor on April 2, last year, according to Dumaguete City Councilor Michael Bandal, the lead counsel of the Piñero and Ramirez families.

Manayon was reportedly high on drugs when he killed the two women. Because Piñero was three months pregnant at the time she was murdered, Manayon was also charged with murder with unintentional abortion, on which the court ordered heavier damages, on top of the murder charge for killing Ramirez.

The two cases were filed separately but were tried jointly by RTC-Branch 46 Judge Alejandro Bahonsua Jr., Bandal told The FREEMAN.

Manayon’s camp still has 15 days from the day the court handed down the verdict to file a motion for reconsideration before the Court of Appeals, otherwise the decision will be considered done with finality.

Speaking in behalf of the victims’ families, Bandal said: “They (Nikki and Lorraine’s families) are not after the money and moral damages. In the first place, ever since the decision came out, they never mentioned about the damages. They are actually after the conviction of the accused. They are simply glad because justice has been finally served.”

In his Facebook post, Piñero’s father Dionesio thanked his family’s lawyers for their efforts, which included Bandal and fellow Dumaguete Councilors Alan Gel Cordova and Manuel Arbon, both lawyers, who took on the case pro bono.

Manayon, who hails from Lapu-Lapu City, admitted to killing Piñero and Ramirez immediately after he was arrested on the night of April 2. He was caught with a pack containing dried marijuana leaves.

He reportedly used six knives in the killing. According to an eyewitness report by Piñero’s friend, Manayon stabbed Ramirez first. He then stabbed Piñero, who chose to stay and help Ramirez who was still alive at the time.

Manayon then told investigators that he planned to kill Ramirez’s boyfriend because the latter threatened to report him to the police that he had marijuana in his possession.

Meanwhile, Bandal said that, while drug charges were filed against Manayon, the case was already settled through a plea bargain with the Siquijor Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.