Slain pregnant student laid to rest; suspect says he wants to die

The 20-year-old graduating education student stabbed 26 times by her lover in a crime of passion last Tuesday in Caloocan City, and the child in her womb, were buried yesterday even as the suspect, who has admitted to the killing, told police he wants to die to end his misery.

Roselyn Cabanilla and the son she didn’t see were laid to rest at 2 p.m. yesterday at the Bagong Silang Public Cemetery in Caloocan City.

Suspect Dennis Habana, 22, a first year education student of the Holy Rosary College, who lived for four months with the victim in her family’s house in Barangay Concepcion, Tala, Caloocan City, broke down and admitted to the killing before PO2 Julian Chavez, officer-on-case.

Chavez said Habana wanted to die after it was made known to him that his son, some four months in Cabanilla’s womb, died with his mother.

"Tinamaan ko ba, pare?" Habana asked Chavez, virtually giving away himself to the prober.

From inside his cell, Habana said he no longer has reason to live and wanted to die.

The suspect was told he won’t die just yet, but stands to suffer for his crime until he dies, the death penalty having been abolished.

Habana was inquested last Thursday with City Prosecutor Manuel Caidic slapping him with charges of murder with intentional abortion without bail.

PO2 Julian Chavez, Caloocan City police Sub-station 3 investigator, told The STAR Habana did not want to be separated from the victim in any way.

Chavez said that before she left Thursday for school, the victim’s mother Lolita, 52, an English teacher and librarian at the Tala High School, had a heart-to-heart talk with the suspect, even as the expectant mother went out to market.

"Dennis, kung masasaktan ang anak ko, masasaktan din ako. Kaya gusto kong malaman kung ano ang talagang nasa loob mo para sa anak ko. Kung maayos ang relasyon niyo, wala akong tutol. Pero meron akong limitasyon. Pagkatapos nitong si Roselle (the victim as fondly called), kukunin siya ng kaibigan ko sa California," Lolita was quoted as telling Dennis.

She then assured him that when everything is settled, he can follow her there.

Little did Lolita know this would trigger the tragic incident.

Habana told Chavez this did not sit well with him. "Ayaw kong magkahiwalay kami," Habana said.

"Nagdilim ang paningin ko," said the suspect when asked to explain the 26 stab wounds he inflicted on Roselyn. She did not even know what hit her, Chavez said.

After Lolita left, Roselle arrived from the market. Habana said he got a kitchen knife then stabbed her repeatedly.

Roselyn also kept her pregnancy a guarded secret from her mother, but Lolita said she had an inkling since Habana moved in with them four months earlier.