Victim in campus poisoning case cries for justice

A 17-year-old girl, who almost died after drinking water from a jug laced with mercury at the campus of the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) in Quezon City, is crying for justice because the case remains unresolved.

In an interview with The STAR, the girl said she fears that a delay in the resolution of the case could lead to the exoneration of the student responsible for the act.

Accompanied by her father and lawyer during the interview, the girl said it would be a bad precedent if the respondent is cleared of frustrated homicide charges.

"What would prevent him from doing bad things to others?" asked the girl, who even after treatment still has mercury in her system. "If he is cleared, other people would think ‘if he can get away with it, why can’t I?"’

According to the father, he and his wife have always taught her to be independent. "She would take public transportation to and from the school. But after the incident, we can’t allow her to be on her own for fear that she might suddenly collapse on the road or in school."

The STAR found out that the case is being handled by Quezon City Prosecutor Ferdinand Baylon. It is now being reviewed by Quezon City Chief Prosecutor Claro Arellano.

"Patience is a virtue that we value highly. But in this situation, where a life was at stake and the future becomes uncertain, practicing patience seems a bit taxing," the girl’s father said. "While we understand that there are lots of cases before our prosecutors, we hope that justice is served the soonest possible time."

The father said that while their case is not high profile, "it is definitely not a small one."

"My daughter just wanted water so she could take her medicine for her headache. Instead, she drank water with poison that was put there by someone, an act that was committed with malicious intent," he said.

Senior Superintendent Benjamin de los Santos, chief of the CIDG-Criminal Investigation and Detection Division (CIDG), earlier recommended the filing of frustrated homicide charges against the boy responsible for spiking the water. The charges were anchored on testimonies of three witnesses — all PSHS students who claimed to have seen how the respondent poured a chemical from a small bottle into the water jug.

One of the witnesses claimed a few other students also became sick after drinking small amounts of water from their own jugs, which were allegedly spiked by the same student.

"There is a danger that the longer it takes for this case to be resolved, the greater the opportunities for the respondent to attempt to influence authorities deciding on the case," the father said.

The respondent, through his lawyer, has elevated the case to the Office of the President in an effort to reverse the decision of the PSHS-Board of Trustees, which had prevented the boy from graduating last March.

The boy is reportedly one of the top students of PSHS, which is under the supervision of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

"We have heard stories that certain persons are trying to intercede on behalf of the respondent. We certainly hope that the prosecutors would decide this case fairly and impartially," said the father. "We are a very simple family. What we have right now is the power of several individuals who believe in faith, truth and justice."

The respondent’s camp has reportedly cited his pending scholarship abroad as a consideration in dismissing both the criminal and administrative case against him.

"There is no doubt that the respondent is a very intelligent person. However, this should not affect the fact that he should be held responsible for his acts, and to suffer the consequences," the victim’s father said. "A person’s accomplishments or credentials should have no bearing on his liability for any wrongdoing."