Man tagged in school secretary's rape-slay falls

MANILA, Philippines - A man who raped a school secretary and stabbed her 68 times in her house in Valenzuela City last week was arrested at his grandmother’s house in San Luis town in Pampanga province, authorities said yesterday.

Wilson Rubia, 33, jobless, admitted to raping and killing his neighbor, Nerissa de Guia, 43, in Barangay Pasolo on Feb. 19, Valenzuela police chief Senior Superintendent Wilben Mayor said. The victim lived only five houses away from Rubia.

Assistant City Prosecutor Randy Caingal charged Rubia with rape with homicide.

Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian, in a press briefing at the city police station yesterday, commended Mayor and police officers from the station investigation unit and follow-up division, headed by Senior Inspector Arthur Quiñones, for the early resolution of the case.

“I wish to thank our police officers for the fast work. The barangay (where the crime was committed) is a quiet village and the other villages around it have almost zero crime (incidence). So, we were really alarmed when this happened. We just realized that we cannot be simply be complacent as anything can happen (even in quiet communities),” he said.

Gatchalian also thanked the Quezon City Police Department (QCPD) for helping solve the case. Mayor said two days before De Guia was attacked, Rubia reportedly tried to rob and rape a bank clerk in Quezon City, where he lived with his common-law wife.

Valenzuela police homicide section chief Senior Police Officer 2 Armando Delima said Rubia fled to Valenzuela, where he has been a resident for 20 years, shortly after.

Opportunity

Rubia was able to enter the main door of De Guia’s house at around 1 a.m. when she failed to secure it after taking down the laundry hanging on a clothesline, Police Officer 2 Michael Oxina told The STAR.

Quinones said Rubia bore scratches on his back, thighs, abdomen and around his genitals – indicating De Guia fought back as he raped her.

Rubia also bore lacerations on his hand, apparently caused by his hand sliding on the blade of the kitchen knife he used to stab her 68 times in the head and body, police said.

Quinones also gave weight to the statement of De Guia’s laundrywoman, Jocelyn Fernandez, who said Rubia had shown interest in the victim, who was widowed last year and left a daughter and a son.

“He always asked me about who lives with Nerissa, what time she comes home,” Fernandez said.

Rubia’s other victim appeared at the Valenzuela police station and identified him as her attacker. She told police she allowed Rubia to have his way but kicked him in the groin when she found the opportunity. As she shouted for help, Rubia stabbed her twice in the face before fleeing.

After comparing the two incidents and realizing that the attacks were similar, investigators built up the case against Rubia with the help of De Guia’s neighbors.

At least two witnesses told police they saw Rubia climbing the fence of De Guia’s house at the time the crime was estimated to have happened.