by Gumamela Celes Bejarin

The University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs Dr. Enrique Tolentino assures that they are doing their best to enforce campus security.

After the incident at Flatrocks last week, where two UPLB students were found dead, the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs (OVCCA) will impose stricter security measures.

Vice Chancellor Tolentino said that the place where the two students decided to trek is supposed to be off-limits. The signage there was apparently stolen and vandalized by some people at the Makiling Forest Reserve (MFR).

The OVCCA is planning to put up a signage that cannot be easily stolen and vandalized like rocks.

At the checkpoint, the hikers will also be required to leave their IDs or valuables that they can retrieve once they log out. The measure will be done so that the hikers will be obligated to log out.

According to Vice Chancellor Tolentino, the Makiling Center for Mountain Ecosystems (MCME) is doing an investigation as to why the forest guards failed to check that the two students were not able to log out.

Vice Chancellor Tolentino said that the MFR is not easy to secure since the area is very big. He added that it is very difficult to guard because there are many entry and exit points. “We have a very big task,” he said.

There is also a proposal that hikers should be accompanied by tour guides. Vice Chancellor Tolentino said that extra fees may be charged, but that is all for the hikers’ security.

MFR was closed for the mean time. Vice Chancellor Tolentino said that they will be implementing the new regulations once they open the MFR.

“We are hoping to have something before the year ends,” said Vice Chancellor Tolentino.

Vice Chancellor Tolentino added that while the incident is very unfortunate, he would still say that it is safe in the campus.

By Joan Nacorda, Kamille Anne Anarna, and Nicolle Andrea Payuyo

Los Baños, Laguna – A faith rally  was organized by the UPLB University Student Council at the CAS Fair 2012 in commemoration of students Vicky Reyes, Mark Lorenz Valdez, and Kevin Lagadon.

Vice Chancellor for Instruction Oscar Zamora in his opening remarks talked about moving on in the spirit of Christmas. “This could happen to anybody. Let’s be prepared. Youth is not a guarantee,” Vice Chancellor Zamora reminds the students. Zamora also added that the events have shown the Los Baños spirit.

Messages from the friends and fellow students were made. Regret was one of the central themes of the messages. They also talked about their fond memories with their late friends. After the messages, there was a short prayer made by USC counselor Arthur Holt together with the lighting of candles and release of white balloons.

Abby dela Cruz, USC Vice-chairperson and Officer-in-charge, says that the faith rally was made to challenge the security system in the campus.

Vicky Reyes was a student who was murdered in her home in Biñan, Laguna last November 19. Mark Lorenz “Enzo” Valdez and Kevin Lagadon were found dead at the Flatrocks, Mt. Makiling Trail last December 6. Police reports say Valdez and Lagadon’s death was an accident.

by Ma. Khrisma Soliven and Levi Joshua Verora Jr. with reports from Gumamela Celes Bejarin and Kezia Grace Jungco

Los Baños, Laguna- The family and friends of the two students found dead at Flatrocks, Mt. Makiling showed their disbelief regarding the autopsy result.

The bodies, correctly identified by their respective families as Mark Lorenz Valdez and Kevin Lagadon, both students of UP Los Baños, were autopsied Friday (December 7) morning by SOCO led by Superintendent Roy Camarillo. After the autopsy, they declared the cause of death as asphyxia due to drowning. It was also estimated that they were dead for about four to five days.  Los Baños Police Chief Inspector Conrado Masongsong also ruled the case as ‘closed.’

Meanwhile, the two students’ respective families and friends had other things to say over the ruling that the Flatrocks tragedy was an accident.

Retired Muntinlupa police Vergilio Sagum, Mark Lorenz’s uncle, was unsatisfied when it comes to the investigation of the PNP and UPLB-University Police Force. Mr. Sagum said that there should have been a sense of urgency or a mandatory search from the police when they found out that two people were not able to log out from the Makiling Trail log book during Sunday.

“Kahit pa weekend yan e, basta nasa loob ka ng campus dapat responsable ang pulis sayo (When you are inside the campus, whether during weekends, the police should be responsible for you),” says Mr. Sagum. He is also puzzled why the bodies were only discovered last Thursday. “Tingnan mo, kung Thursday lang sila nakita, at Sunday sila namatay, ibig bang sabihin Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, walang nagpunta ng Flatrocks? (They died Sunday and were recovered Thursday, would it mean that there were no visitors who came to Flatrocks from Monday to Wednesday?)” added Mr. Sagum.

He would also want to see the log book that contains the attendance of visitors entering the Makiling Trail. He also noted that nobody realized that Kevin and Mark Lorenz were missing until the news of two bodies discovered at the Makiling Trail came out. He would also like to find some information regarding the rumored seven more people who trekked minutes after Kevin and Mark Lorenz logged-in.

Mr. Marlou Valdez, the father of Mark Lorenz also disagrees with the results. He told The LB Times that there were some marks at the back of Mark Lorenz. His hand bag and mobile phone were also missing when they vacated Mark Enzo’s room. He seeks for further information and at the same time, justice for the two students.

The College of Human Ecology (CHE) Student Council likewise believes that there could have been foul play involved. Chairperson Ayesha Sarapuddin noted the negligence of the authority saying that they could have searched along the Trail when they found out that two visitors were not able to log out.

Likewise, students who have already been to the Flatrocks before said that the water level there is too shallow for someone to be drowned.

The Los Baños Times went to the PNP at Brgy. Baybayin for the log book. According to the police, the results of the investigation and the log book were already in the provincial office.

As of this writing, the two students’ remains are at their respective hometowns. The Los Baños Times is still gathering more information regarding the incident.

Reports from Kamille Anne C. Anarna, Mary Joie C. Cruz, Khrisma T. Soliven, and Licelle B. Varias

Earlier this evening, two male bodies were found in the Flatrocks natural pool in UP Los Baños.

As of 9:30 pm, the identities of the recovered bodies remain to be confirmed given their “advanced state of decomposition”. According to Councilor Janos Lapiz of Brgy. Batong Malake, the bodies will be brought to the PNP crime laboratory at Camp Vicente Lim in Canlubang, Laguna.

As of 10:30 pm, SOCO Representative Jerous Logronio said that the initial findings on the cause of death is drowning. Logronio explained that the identities, as well as the cause of death, will be confirmed after the autopsy.

by Mary Joie C. Cruz

Los Baños Centtro Engineer was stabbed by a construction employee in
the building warehouse yesterday at around 6:30 pm.

Engineer Richard Famanila, a licensed civil engineer, 48 years old and
a resident of  Bulacan, was stabbed by a construction worker named
Edgardo Algonza, 36 of Leyte.

Another Centtro employee, Edgardo Humilde, 33, was also stabbed by the
suspect after attempting to intervene. Rabi survived the stabbing
incident. Initial investigations report that the stabbing was caused
by personal conflict involving work relations and salary payouts.

“Ang sabi niya [Algonza] ay hindi daw siya pinapasweldo at sinasabihan
din ng masasamang salita,” crime investigator PO2 Jarvis Banasihan
said.

The suspect was immediately captured by the Los Baños Police after the
crime. The case is now for filing in the court and is relayed to the Laguna Provincial Intelligence Division and Management Branch.