High school student stabbed dead

MANILA, Philippines - A 15-year-old high school student was stabbed dead after refusing to give his cellular phone to a robber early morning yesterday along the University Belt in Sampaloc, Manila.

Declared dead on arrival at the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center was Alex Lomuntad, of the University of the East high school department, and a resident of Magsaysay Village, Tondo. He sustained stab wounds in the abdomen and left arm.

Inspector Armando Macaraeg, chief of the homicide section of the Manila Police District, said the victim had even met his schoolteacher, Theresa Fastidio, on his way to school at around 6 a.m. The two parted ways near the UE entrance since the victim had to photocopy his school projects on the other side of the street.

A building security guard, Hernani Policarpio, told police he saw a male person, described as about 5’3” tall, wearing yellow shirt, short pants and sandals and armed with a knife, held up the victim. However, instead of giving up his cellular phone, the student resisted, prompting the robber to stab him repeatedly.