MANILA, Philippines—Showbiz personalities are up in arms, just about, over the brutal murder of the mother of one of their own.
Actress Cherry Pie Picache’s 75-year-old mother Zenaida Sison was found dead with multiple stab wounds last Friday night inside her Quezon City residence, in a grizzly crime which police officials said was motivated by robbery.
The thieves broke into Sison’s two-storey house on Scout Dr. Lazcano Street, Barangay Paligsahan, at the height of the heavy downpour brought by Tropical Storm Mario. Sison lived alone; with a household helper, a laundrywoman and a gardener in her employ only during the daytime.
According to police reports, Picache and driver Mateo Mago rushed to Sison’s house on Friday, when the actress grew concerned over her mother’s non-response to her calls. Upon their arrival at the house at approximately 6 p.m., the pair found that the gate and front door had been pried open. Mago, who was first inside the house, found Sison dead in her bedroom.
Investigators discovered a blood-stained knife, a piece of wood, and a crowbar at the scene of the crime; Chief Insp. Rodel Marcelo, head of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD)-Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit, told reporters.
Marcelo also disclosed that numerous pieces of costly jewelry were reported missing by the victim’s family. There are still no leads as to suspects, however.
Picache’s colleagues have expressed their sympathy – as well as their outrage – over the slaying of Sison.
Jose Javier Reyes, multi-awarded screenwriter and director was among those who spoke out against the crime. He said: “I met Cherry Pie’s mom. She was a feisty, independent woman. It goes to show that anarchy is prevailing in our country.My prayers and heartfelt condolences to Pie Picache and her family for the loss of her mother. May justice be served and the perpetrators of this heinous crime be given the punishment they deserve. And again let this be a wake-up call to the people we have entrusted the responsibility of ensuring peace and order as well as sustained by the taxes they so dutifully collect from us.”
“We, the ordinary citizens, are no longer amused by the anarchy around us. Neither are we entertained by their rah-rah self-serving speeches and politicking. We are not stupid or numbed by your cheering squads,” Reyes added.
Long-time late-night and entertainment television show host German “Kuay Gerns” Moreno called on the government to bring justice to Sison for the “unimaginable” crime, in order to “show people that they’re (government) serious about what they do.”
“Why was this done to a woman of that age? I could not believe that people would go kill someone so helpless just to earn a living,” Moreno said, as he decried the brutal act.
In similar manner, director Adolfo Alix Jr. hoped “that justice will be served so that she’ll have peace of mind. Prayers for her and her family.”
Bibeth Orteza, writer, actress, director and producer, aired her belief that the crime was “an inside job.” She went on to say that she was familiar with the area in which Sison lived, and added that “the security there is strict. I remember that my driver would always have to surrender his ID to the guard. I also know that at a certain (time), access to one of the gates is no longer allowed.”
Like the others, Orteza remembered Picache’s mother in a positive way: “Her mom was kind. I’ve spoken with her on the phone one time when she was arranging for a surprise birthday party for her daughter.”
The official statement from Picache and her family read: “My family is very aggrieved by this unfortunate event that happened to our mother. We trust that the QCPD together with the Scene of the Crime Operatives, through their vigilance and effort, will apprehend the person or persons who committed this gruesome crime against our mother and family and against our society.”