To defend your virginal purity and save us

I must say…it was love’s bravest choice”

Have you heard about Charlene Santos? How about Tara Santelices? For those who always watch the news, names seem to be familiar. Charlene is a 27-year-old call center employee; graduate from UP Diliman was shot dead as she pleaded with three armed suspects not to take her cell phone during a robbery inside FX taxi. Tara, a 23- year- old Atenista was shot in the head by a .38 cal revolver, on the eve of her birthday. The alleged assailant, a burly looking man in his 40’s, remains at large.

How I knew Tara? It was my sister Cherry told me her story. Tara was critical when she was brought in the Medical City. After hearing the story, sympathy arouse for Tara and anger for those culprit. Who would have thought two months after what happened to Tara, we would also be the victims of that evil men. Sad part, it happened inside our house.

As I am about to start this column I chose not to elaborate further, what happened on the night of October 7. I just want to pay tribute to the bravest woman I have ever known. I want her memories fill this page of mine. Through this simple way, I want to thank her for saving our lives.

Four- armed men brandishing .38 cal. Pistols and 9mm, broke into our house and hogtied us. After divesting our personal belongings, suspects tried to rape my younger sister who at that time is sleeping on the second floor of our house. But my sister Cherry begged and said “ako na lang wag nyo na galawin ang kapatid ko” . When my sister refused to give in to the suspect’s lust, and shouted “tulungan nyo kami!” she was shot three times in the head, stomach, and legs.

I never got the chance to talk to her unlike my other siblings and our parent. The “tulungan nyo kami” is the last words I heard from her. Papa, tearfully recalled how my sister begging him while she was in the Medical City “papa, uwi nyo na ako, pagod na pagod na ako” When I heard from my mother that my sister is conscious, I have a strong faith that she will survive. I know how strong she was to fight for her life; she did all she can to survive in the operation. She held on so long to endure the pain of that gun wounds. By 12:20 pm we went to the Medical City, make believe that I went there to donate a blood for my sister. However, at the back of my mind, I have a feeling that she already surrendered her life into hands of God. As I set foot in the promenade of Medical City, I saw my father crying, he embraced my younger sister, he asked me to went to the ICU I saw the doctor reviving her. I can’t take the pain of seeing her from that situation, I turned my back. Someone told me “Pam, wag ka naman ganyan lumalaban pa ate mo,”

My sister, a 23-year-old graduate of Rizal Technological University and a Medical City employee finally bid goodbye at exactly 12:40 pm of October 8, as if saying “IT IS FINISHED”

The last moment of her life, she never got a chance to introduce to us her boyfriend for three years. As much as possible she wants her private life to be literally private even to her family. We met her boyfriend besides her lifeless body, the best friend of my sister introduce him to us. It was the saddest but very inspiring love story that ever revealed.

Losing my sister was the lowest part of our lives. I came to realized, “sadyang may masasama talagang tao” We get hold of so much sympathy for my sister but this time we need JUSTICE. “nahihiya ako sa ate ko dahil hanggang ngayon hindi pa rin namin maibigay ang hustisyang nararapat sa kanya“ A criminal continues to be free. If justice will not be served, I know that Divine justice will. But no one can fill up the gap, the emptiness we had in our hearts. I am sure those culprits also have a sister, parents or maybe have their own family. “sana lang wag maranasan ng pamilya nyo o ng mga anak nyo ang sinapit ng kapatid ko, huwag sana sila ang magbayad ng mga kasalanan na ginawa nyo, dahil walang salitang makapagpapaliwanag kung gaano ka sakit”

One day in some far off place, I will recognize her face, I will not say goodbye ate, for you and I will meet again. Thank you for saving us. If fate will lead me to the place where you are now, the first thing I will do is to hug you. I will never get tired saying how much I love you, with a love whose only regret is that you have not been love enough. No more tears, no more worries, and no more pain. See you in my dreams “Ate”

As I am writing this, may I ask everyone to please pray for the soul of my sister and Charlene, justice may soon be prevail. And for tara, that she be spare from further sufferings.