theresa torres pleads “not guilty” in ateneo student amiel alcantara death court case

theresa torres

theresa torres, the mother/driver suspect charged in the death of grade 4 student amiel alcantara at the ateneo grade school pleaded not guilty in court on criminal charges lodged by the alcantara family. amiel was killed at the ateneo grade school parking lot when the van driven by torres pinned the grade 4 boy to another car and crushed him to death. amiel’s nanny and sister were also hurt in the same car accident.

the QC Court Branch 106 judge also said that in accordance with court rules, the parties are mandated to elevate the case to mediation. it was the first time we heard of this process.

the idea of going through mediation according to documents we have read is to find a way to unclog the courts of cases. while it might achieve that in some way, we think more than anything, this is just an additional process to the judicial proceeding which to begin with already takes a long time. what this does is it adds one more process to an already very long process.

amiel alcantara was killed in february 24, 2009 and the arraignment of the case was done just a few days ago, after almost one year and a half in the courts. the case has just been started after 18 months. the mediation will add more months to it.

(read about mediation at the courts here: http://www.pmc.org.ph/about-the-philippine-mediation-center.htm)

the parties in court cases are forced to go through it. we think that should be changed where the parties may simply say whether they want to go through it or by-pass it all together to go straight to trial. the courts are clogged with cases not because of a lack of mediation, it is the slow process that judges allow to occur in its proceedings.

the mediation process helps the court in unclogging it but it does not help the parties involved in the case. all it does is it prolongs the court case further.

the mediation process only adds to an already prolonged process and adds misery and pain to the victims and families of the victims.  this additional process does not really decongest the courts, all it does is give the cases one more detour. it postpones or delays the progress of the case, it does not remove them.

the mediation process for the amiel alcantara death case is scheduled for november.

Suspect in Ateneo student’s death pleads not guilty

MANILA, Philippines – A woman accused of running over a Grade 4 student at the Ateneo de Manila University on Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City last year pled not guilty to criminal charges before a local court Thursday.

Maria Theresa Torres, the woman who ran over and killed 10-year-old student Amiel Alcantara last year, was arraigned at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court branch 106.

Amiel Alcantara death arraignment set on October 21, 2010

amiel alcantara

theresa torres, mother/driver

amiel alcantara is the grade 4 student at the ateneo de manila university grade school (AGS) who was killed in a traffic accident at the ateneo grade school parking lot in february 24, 2009. we have given extensive coverage on the amiel case in this blog (click to read: http://wawam.wordpress.com/category/amiel-alcantara/).

we received a text message on the on-going court case as follows :

After a slow process 18 months, the Amiel Alcantara case will be finally arraigned on Thursday, 21 October, 8:30 am, QC Branch 106.

Present judicial process requires “arbitration”  between parties after arraignment, aiming for “settlement” of what cannot be undone and transacted, the loss of precious life inside a school where children safely grow.  It’s this time that we see how a judicial process, and creativity of its participants value and respect the life of Amiel, a helpless victim of a grossly dangerous mother/driver.

As our family, friends, and community grieve, we pray for justice, we pray for safety and protection of our precious little ones.

~~Pepe Alcantara & Family

we have not forgotten amiel. we see his marker at the ateneo grade school parking lot almost everyday of the week and we are constantly reminded of how a precious life was taken from a place where we automatically assume to be safe – the school. how much of a future was taken away from amiel and his family we cannot properly imagine but we know it is great and most likely not measurable.  we pray for amiel whenever we see that marker – one for amiel’s soul and another for his family.

we are also reminded of how fragile safety is even in school for our grade school children. and we wonder aloud if ateneo has done enough for safety and to help ensure what happened to amiel is not repeated in the future. we remember the promise of the school that more will be done and also remember none came.

in tomorrow’s arraignment, we hope the ateneo community and the school reflects on these things.

spot at the AGS parking lot where amiel was killed

message from pepe & melanie alcantara : 40th day mass for amiel alcantara on april 5

message from the alcantara family:

Please join us for the 40th day mass for our Amiel on Palm Sunday, 5th of April at the Atene Grade School chapel. There will be a program that will start at 5pm in honor of Amiel.

The tragic death of our Amiel has left us his footprints for us to follow, for our healing as a family and community, and for our doing of its meaning and purpose. Please join us in this journey.

~Pepe & Melanie Alcatara 

ateneo grade school chapel

the amiel alcantara death case : theresa torres talks to pepe alcantara face-to-face

last march 12′s hearing of the amiel alcantara death case, judge jose bautista called pepe alcantara, amiel’s dad and theresa torres, the suspect in the death of amiel was called into the chambers of the judge to talk face to face.

this is how the philippine daily inquierer reported it:

During a closed door meeting in Bautista’s office afterward, Torres asked the boy’s father to forgive her.

“She asked for my apology. I asked her if she has forgiven herself. She only smiled a bit and did not answer,” Alcantara told reporters, adding they were bent on pursuing justice for his boy.

 

pepe alcantara, amiel’s dad rejoins the court after meeting with theresa torres inside judge bautista’s chambers

next to emerge from judge bautista’s chambers is theresa torres

 read PDI article in full here: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20090313-193835/Victims-family-wants-homicide-raps-vs-driver

Amiel Alcantara’s ashes brought to taal, amiel’s favorite outdoor place (a photo gallery)

more exclusive photos here: http://amielsfootprints.wordpress.com/

 

thank you to the ateneo dad for these photos. these photos are exclusive to wawam.wordpress. all rights reserved to wawam.wordpress. copyright are declared on all the pictures.

for more exclusive photos, visit: http://amielsfootprints.wordpress.com/

Father of Ateneo accident victim ‘devastated’ over son’s death

MANILA, Philippines – The father of Julian Carlo Miguel “Amiel” Alcantara, the 10-year-old boy who was killed by a speeding van inside the Ateneo de Manila University campus, on Thursday said they are “devastated” by their son’s sudden death.

“We are devastated. It’s a difficult time. We will make the best out of the difficulty by moving on and we dedicated our moving on to our dear Amiel,” said Mr. Pepe Alcantrara, father of victim Juan Carlo Miguel “Amiel” in an off-camera interview with GMA News reporter Josh Villanueva.

read in full: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/150565/Father-of-Ateneo-accident-victim-%E2%80%98devastated%E2%80%99-over-sons-death