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Ateneo pupil’s dad: I could not bear seeing the face of my son’s killer


MANILA, Philippines - The 10-year-old Ateneo pupil killed by a speeding van inside the campus seemed to have flashed a “sign" of sorts to his father on the morning of the fateful accident. Jose Fernando “Pepe" Alcantara, father of Grade 4 student Juan Carlo Miguel, said his son did something that he did not usually do before going to school on Feb. 24. “Ako ay hindi mapamahiin pero may pagkakataon sa umagang iyan, nung paalis ang mga bata. Hinatid na [sila] ng driver at umaatras na ang sasakyan sa garahe [I don’t believe in sayings. Our family driver fetched my kids and our car was already driving out of the garage]," Alcantara, a father of three, said in a radio interview. “Ngunit pinahinto niya ang driver at bumalik siya sa akin at yumakap [But my son asked our driver to stop, and he headed straight back to me and gave me a hug]," Alcantara continued. Little did the older Alcantara know that hours later, his son would get killed from being hit by a van while inside the Ateneo de Manila University campus in Quezon City. Alcantara said he could not help but recall the scene in their garage that morning. “Akala ko ay nakalimutan lang ang baon. Iyon pala hindi ko naman alam na nakalimutan lang yumakap sa kung ano mang dahilan. Ayoko namang bigyan na bigyan pa ng philosophical na dahilan," the boy’s father said. [“I really thought he only forgot to get his allowance. I did not know that he just wanted to hug me for no apparent reason. I really do not like to give meaning to that"] The van’s driver, Ma. Theresa Torres – who is currently detained at the Quezon City Police District headquarters in Camp Karingal - had maintained in her sworn affidavit that her vehicle’s faulty brake was to blame. But a day after the incident, the boy’s father said he did not want to hear any of Torres’ explanation or any theory for that matter. He said he went to the precinct for one, single purpose. “Dumeretso ako sa Karingal [I went straight to Camp Karingal]," Alcantara said, “[Pero] ang pagpunta ko doon ay hindi para makipag-usap. Ang aking pagnanais lang ay makita lang ang kanyang mga mata dahil siya ay magulang at ako ay magulang [I went there not talk to her but just to see the eyes of a parent because I am a parent as well]." “Hindi ko talaga maatim na makita man lamang ang mukha ng pumatay sa [aking] anak," he said [I could not bear seeing the face of my son’s killer]," he added. Alcantara has already filed a formal complaint of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide and physical injuries against Torres. Torres has already requested to post bail but the local court will not act on it until Monday. “Hindi ko matugma ang dahilan kung bakit sa isang lugar, sa isang ina, at isang pagkakataon ay mangyayari iyon [I cannot seem to piece together the reasons why it had to happen at that time at that place, involving a mother like her]," Alcantara lamented. - Mark Merueñas, GMANews.TV
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