Pia Regalado, ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA - What will you feel if, on an ordinary Tuesday morning at the office, you receive a call telling you that your beloved daughter had been murdered?</p><p>For Pastor Jun Cebanico, it was a day where his world crumbled.</p><p>It was a morning on October 11, 2011. He arrived in the office early, and before starting his day, he opened his Facebook account. He saw his daughter Given Grace&#x27;s profile. He read her college friends&#x27; posts -- they were all looking for her. But he did not feel anything out of the ordinary.</p><p>However, he received a call from his niece who told him that Given had been missing since Monday night. News had spread that a body of a girl was found along the IBP Road in Barangay Putho-Tuntungin in Los Baños, Laguna but it was not yet identified.</p><p>After an hour, his niece confirmed the unimaginable: the raped and murdered body belongs to his 19-year-old daughter.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2016/nation2/05/23/052316_given.jpg"/><figcaption><div class="embed-desc">UPLB student Given Grace Cebanico.<em> Photo from Marlene Cebanico&#x27;s Facebook account</em></div></figcaption></figure></div><p>He asked his wife, Given&#x27;s mother, Marlene, to try reaching their daughter. She tried numerous times, but to no avail. The couple decided to visit Los Baños to help look for their firstborn.</p><p>While traversing South Luzon Expressway, Marlene received a call telling her to go straight to the campus because the police were already waiting for them to identify Given&#x27;s body.</p><p>&quot;Hysterical na ako tapos naramdaman ko sa ulo ko &#x27;yung parang mabibiyak. Ibig sabihin &#x27;yung anak ko yung patay na. &#x27;Di ako makapaniwala. I cannot imagine na makikita ko ang anak ko sa ganung sitwasyon,&quot; Marlene told ABS-CBN News, recollecting the fateful day with tears in her eyes.</p><p>The heavens mourned her death as rain poured while they made their way to the funeral home in Bay, Laguna where Given&#x27;s body was brought.</p><p>Given, a third-year computer science student, sustained two gunshot wounds which ultimately took her life. One bullet even went through her brain. Her wrists also bore the marks of struggle. According to Jun, their daughter was wearing handcuffs placed on her back while the suspects, bank security guard Lester Ivan Rivera and tricycle driver Percival De Guzman, forced themselves upon her during their raping spree.</p><p>Marlene shared, &quot;Napakabait na bata niya para maranasan niya iyon... Parang nanonood lang ako ng sine pero sa amin na nangyayari.&quot;</p><div><strong>Love heals</strong></div><p>Given&#x27;s mother said that forgiveness is better said than done, even if they are Christians.</p><p>Marlene announced that she has a copy of the photo of the crime scene– the grassy lot where Given&#x27;s remains was found. The family lawyer encouraged her to look at the black-and-white photograph to help ease the confusion in her mind. However, Jun chose not to look at the photo, even after almost five years since the crime.</p><p>&quot;Sabi namin, ibinigay talaga namin ang forgiveness, pero nagtataka din ako sa sarili ko, parang galit ka pa rin. Siguro hindi talaga siya overnight. Ni-release namin ang forgiveness. Choice mo talaga mag-forgive,&quot; according to Marlene.</p><p>Jun recalls the four and a half years while they were waiting for justice to prevail. He said, it was not really time that heals, &quot;but it is love that heals.&quot;</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2016/nation2/05/23/052316_grace.jpg"/><figcaption><div class="embed-desc">Given Grace with her family. <em>Photo from Marlene Cebanico&#x27;s Facebook account, uploaded October 6, 2011</em></div></figcaption></figure></div><p>He, together with their lawyer, attended all the hearings, which means regularly seeing the men who are responsible for their daughter&#x27;s death.</p><p>Instead of letting the anger and hate grow in their heart, he shared, &quot;Ito ang panahon na ginawa ng Diyos para mahalin sila, kasi mahal din niya ang mga tao in spite of that.&quot;</p><p>In the <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/regions/02/28/16/suspect-in-given-graces-slay-case-changes-plea-to-guilty"><strong>last hearing</strong></a> held at the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa City last February 23, after more than four years since the murder, Rivera changed his plea to guilty.</p><p>Pastor Jun recounts the scene. After Rivera changed his plea because of his &quot;conscience,&quot; the judge asked him if he wants to personally talk with Pastor Jun so he could ask for forgiveness, but he did not budge.</p><p>But the unexpected happened: He asked for the bereaved family&#x27;s forgiveness.</p><p>&quot;Siguro hinihintay niya ang pagkakataon na matapat sa akin. Humarap siya sa akin, he started saying, &#x27;Pastor, patawarin mo ako.&#x27;&quot;</p><p>He tearfully recalled, &quot;Yumakap siya sa akin, sabi ko sa kanya, &#x27;Alam mo napakasakit ng ginawa mo sa amin pero gusto ko ipaalam ko sa iyo na pinatawad ka na namin at pinatatawad ka namin. Kung ang ginawa niyo sa anak ko ay maging paraan ni Lord para makilala mo Siya, masakit sa amin pero masaya na rin kami, at least naging instrument ang anak ko para makilala mo si Lord, magkaroon ka ng relationship sa Kanya.&#x27;&quot;</p><p>In April 2016, Rivera was found guilty of three counts of rape with homicide and theft. He was given three life imprisonment sentences.</p><p>Meanwhile, De Guzman is still waiting for the court verdict.</p><div><strong>Life well lived</strong></div><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2016/nation2/05/23/052316_a.jpg"/><figcaption><div class="embed-desc">Given poses with her dad, Pastor Jun. <em>Photo from Marlene Cebanico&#x27;s Facebook account</em></div></figcaption></figure></div><p>Given, who was a daddy&#x27;s girl, had lived a full life in just 19 short years. Although the Cebanicos will always remember and miss their only girl, they shared the lasting effect Given had left them.</p><p>Given dreamt of helping her parents with her brother&#x27;s education, then promising to send him to college the moment she started working. Even after Given&#x27;s death, it became a dream come true after a company gave Given’s brother a scholarship to pursue his engineering course in the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) in Manila.</p><p>Given, through the &quot;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/GivenGraceAcademicExcellenceFoundationinc/?fref=ts"><strong>Given Grace Academic Excellence Foundation</strong></a>&quot; her family founded to help send kids to school, will continue to help others just like how she silently helped others in need when she was still alive, Marlene shared.</p><div><strong>Securing the &#x27;green, clean, and safe UPLB campus&#x27;</strong></div><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2016/nation2/05/23/052316_uplb1.jpg"/><figcaption><div class="embed-desc">The University of the Philippines in Los Baños, Laguna.<em> Photos by Demie Dangla, ABS-CBN News</em></div></figcaption></figure></div><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2016/nation2/05/23/052316_uplb2.jpg"/><figcaption><div class="embed-desc">The University of the Philippines in Los Baños, Laguna<em>. Photos by Demie Dangla, ABS-CBN News</em></div></figcaption></figure></div><p>After Given&#x27;s death, the quiet world of UPLB shattered.</p><p>Yet to recover from the shock of her murder and just five months after, two more cases rocked the community.</p><p>Death of another rape-slay victim, 14-year-old Rochel Geronda of Los Baños National High School, and the killing of Ray Bernard Peñaranda, an agriculture student from UPLB, were reported to have happened in Barangay Batong Malaki in 2012.</p><p>The fear spread far and wide. Students and families alike became paranoid about their safety. Police outposts began popping like mushrooms inside and outside campus.</p><p>Four years after, the administration which is now under Chancellor Fernando Sanchez, promises a safer environment for the students.</p><p>Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs Dr. Serlie Barroga-Jamias told ABS-CBN News that the marching order from the chancellor is to bring UPLB back to its former glory -- &quot;green, clean, and safe campus.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Kami (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs or OVCCA) ang unang mineeting ni Sir (Sanchez). Sabi niya, &#x27;I don&#x27;t want another Given Grace in my term.&#x27;&quot;</p><p>She, along with retired PNP Col. Ricardo Silab, University Police Force (UPF) chief, explained the precautionary measures the new administration has enforced.</p><p>Jamias said the UPLB officials met with Mayor Cesar Perez to discuss how to make the campus and the other barangays around it more secure. With this agreement, patrolling around the barangays and the campus is maximized.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2016/nation2/05/23/052316_uplboff.jpg"/><figcaption><div class="embed-desc">From left to right: UHO&#x27;s Dr. Cesar Quicoy, UPF&#x27;s retired PNP Col. Ricardo Silab, and Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs Dr. Serlie Barroga-Jamias.<em> Photo by Demie Dangla, ABS-CBN News</em></div></figcaption></figure></div><p>&quot;We have an MoU (memorandum of understanding), mag-second year na ngayon, with the Los Baños PNP, with Barangay Tuntungin-Putho, Barangay Batong Malaki kasi dito halos lahat nakatira ang students.&quot;</p><p>They also reiterated the 10 p.m. curfew. UPF personnel are to start doing their rounds to remind students who are still inside campus to pack up. They shared that they have a late night service to help the students get home to their dormitories and apartments after 10 p.m.</p><p>&quot;The chancellor has provided a late night service na ihahatid ang mga estudyante from 11 o&#x27;clock every hour thereafter until 4 o&#x27;clock in the morning,&quot; Jamias said.</p><p>Silab announced that the police force are now comprised of &quot;real policemen&quot;, who are college graduates, even Board and Civil Service Commission passers, to aid the Community Support Brigade (CSB).</p><p>&quot;Professionalized na rin ang University Police Force... may training sila sa first responders, sa investigation, sa intelligence, sa discipline.&quot;</p><p>Jamias also shared that a fencing project around campus, which is already 40% done, is underway. This is to secure the ins and outs of the campus, which has gates leading to the communities around it.</p><p>Proper wearing of IDs of the student and staff members are also encouraged. Under the OVCCA, jeepney and tricycle drivers who pass by or enter campus also need to present their IDs. When constructions are done inside campus, the workers also need to get their IDs to lessen the instances of robbery.</p><p>Dr. Cesar Quicoy, the chief of the UPLB Housing Office, told ABS-CBN News that after what happened to Given, Chancellor Sanchez wanted to secure more dormitory slots for the students inside campus.</p><p>Although there are 14,000 students studying in UPLB in academic year 2015-2016, only 14% or around 2,300 students are given slots to the dormitories inside campus. There are currently 10 dormitories that cater to undergraduate, graduate, and international students.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2016/nation2/05/23/052316_uplb3.jpg"/><figcaption><div class="embed-desc">Students pass by the famous Oblation statue in UP Los Baños.<em> Photo by Demie Dangla, ABS-CBN News</em></div></figcaption></figure></div><p>Dormitories inside campus are cheaper than renting rooms and apartments outside, that is why Chancellor Sanchez targets to create more dormitories inside UPLB, so that students can stay where the UPF regularly patrols the area. Their goal is to house at least 50% of the UPLB student population in the campus.</p><p>One of OVCCA&#x27;s goal is to coordinate with the dormitories outside campus. One of their projects is to make it easier for the parents and students from far-flung provinces to search for an available place, whether inside or outside UPLB, so they do not have to personally look for a slot. This will be done by hosting a website where online dormitory and apartment slot reservations are possible.</p><p>They are also working on providing the campus dormitories computer rooms and internet routers, even washing machines, so dormers do not have to go outside for services.</p><p>&quot;No matter how much efforts you do, but if the image, the reputation, the blight is there, wala eh. Kailangan ayusin muna namin iyon,&quot; remarked Jamias. – <strong>with Demie Dangla, ABS-CBN News</strong></p>

What will you feel if, in an ordinary Tuesday morning at the office, you receive a call telling you that your beloved daughter had been murdered?

After 4 years, justice is Given's

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

Regions

After 4 years, justice is Given's

Pia Regalado,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 23, 2016 08:33 AM PHT

|

Updated May 23, 2016 03:21 PM PHT

Read More:

Given Grace Cebanico

UPLB

murder

instant articles

update feed

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.