Latest news with #SophiaMarieCoquilla
New Straits Times
7 days ago
- New Straits Times
University student stabbed 38 times in Philippines
MANILA: A 19-year-old university student was brutally murdered after being stabbed 38 times in her home in Tagum City, Davao del Norte, last week. Sophia Marie Coquilla, a freshman journalism student at the University of the Philippines Diliman, was found dead in her bedroom in Purok 3-A, La Filipina, on July 9. According to Filipino news website Sophia was alone when suspects allegedly broke into the house. Initial investigations suggest robbery as the likely motive, with several of her personal belongings recovered during follow-up operations. Police have arrested four suspects, including at least one minor. One was apprehended in Davao City in possession of an unlicensed firearm and several items linked to the victim. The suspects were identified through CCTV footage obtained near Sophia's residence, said Tagum police chief Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Deles. He said a 17-year-old suspect confessed to the killing, stating that he and another accomplice took turns stabbing the victim after she woke up during the break-in. "She saw their faces, and they panicked," Deles said, adding that the suspects were believed to be under the influence of alcohol at the time. Davao del Norte police chief Colonel Alexander Serrano Jr said investigations are ongoing with the assistance of forensic and intelligence units. "We are working closely with crime scene officers, and follow-up operations are continuing," he said. Authorities confirmed that most of the suspects are underage. Under Philippine law, individuals under 15 are exempt from criminal liability, while those aged 15 to 18 can only be prosecuted if found to have acted with discernment.
GMA Network
13-07-2025
- GMA Network
Fourth suspect in fatal stabbing of Tagum City student arrested
A fourth suspect has been arrested in relation to the murder of 19-year-old Sophia Marie Coquilla, who was found with 38 stab wounds on her body inside her bedroom in the family residence in Tagum City, Davao del Norte last Wednesday. The fourth suspect was apprehended in Davao City, and was reported to have had a gun that had no documents, as reported by Rgil Relator on GMA's '24 Oras Weekend' on Sunday. The suspect was identified through a neighbor's CCTV footage that showed a group of youths going back and forth near the Coquilla residence a day before the murder happened. Three suspects, all minors, have earlier been arrested. The victim, Sophia Marie, finished high school as third honorable mention, and was set to start her college education at the University of the Philippines Diliman. — Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/BM, GMA Integrated News
