By DOMINIC GUTOMAN
Bulatlat.com
MANILA — What should have been a memorable New Year celebration for a family in Uson, Masbate turned into grief.
Fourteen-year-old Jeffrey Escape Osabel Jr. (or JP to his family and friends) was shot and killed alongside his friend Redjan Montealegre. This happened on December 27 at around 3 a.m. as the two boys were returning home from a Christmas party in a nearby barangay. JP and Redjan were Grades 9 and 10, respectively.
“It is too painful for us. Until now, we cannot accept that my son is gone,” Maryshel Escape Osabel, JP’s mother, said in Filipino. “I don’t know what to do. We don’t even have savings to pay for his coffin. I just hope justice will be served, and the perpetrator is caught.”
Search for justice
The family remains in the dark about who was behind the crime. They are waiting for the Philippine National Police (PNP) to conclude its investigation.
Initial reports from the Children’s Rehabilitation Center (CRC) show that the killing may be linked to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). CRC called for an immediate investigation.
Read: Investigate killing of HS students in Masbate – CRC
According to a local news outfit, PNP Uson formed a “special investigation team” to look into the case.
Weight of his death
Known for being caring and responsible, JP learned to drive at a young age to assist his mother with errands, often taking her to the supermarket and his siblings to school.
“He was a loving son,” Maryshel said. “He would always make coffee for me, and he would joke around, drinking it first before giving it to me. I miss those moments.”
JP’s playful and affectionate attitude extended to his siblings, with whom he shared a close bond. He often made them laugh by teasing them.
“He was not afraid to show affection,” Maryshel said. “He would ask for five pesos to use the Wi-Fi and then give me a kiss.”
These small gestures are what Maryshel loves the most about him. The killing is also heavy for JP’s father, who had just returned home from work on December 23. He was unable to embrace his son before his life was tragically cut short.
“We are a poor family. We have no enemies in our community. My son had no record of wrongdoing, whether at school or in our barangay,” Maryshel said.
The family hopes that the investigation will bring clarity and justice for JP and Redjan. Meanwhile, for the human rights community, the recent cases of killings in the region are already alarming. (RTS, DAA)
