Grief, disbelief

I was asked that question by a colleague in the local government sector. He gave me a call to ask me if I had heard the news that the body of a missing 14-year-old boy has been found. My colleague described the gruesome details, then asked how the unfortunate development affected me. Grief. Disbelief. Those are the two words that best describe how one might feel regarding the death of “Kulot” and the alleged manner in which his demise came about.

“Kulot,” as many would have known by now, is Reynaldo de Guzman. He was earlier reported as the companion of the late Carl Angelo Arnaiz, the 19-year old former University of the Philippines student, who was also found dead.

Both Carl and Kulot were Rizaleños. They were both residents of Cainta at the time of their death.

We grieve not only because they were Rizaleños. We grieve because they were both young and full of promise.

We grieve also because we may have failed to protect them, and failed them in general.

Based on many accounts, we can only come to the conclusion that both Kulot and his friend Carl tried their best to survive in a world that has become somewhat unkind to the young.

Carl, based on these accounts, was a bright student. He excelled in academics. He must have studied so well that he qualified for entry to the State University. For reasons unknown to us, Carl reportedly had to quit his studies after experiencing bouts with depression.

Kulot’s life was just as colorful – and impressive, to say the least. He reportedly learned early in life to fend for himself. He took on odd jobs to earn money for his daily sustenance, and that of his family. He was a cheerful boy who earned the trust of the neighborhood where he spent his brief life.

Both Carl and Kulot knew and came face-to-face with the hard realities of life early. They tried to deal with such realities. They could have triumphed. We grieve because they were deprived of the chance to prove to themselves and to the world that they have what it takes to overcome adversity and emerge a winner. We are also in disbelief. We cannot believe the apparent resolve of those who killed them to make sure they would not survive. The killers wanted them dead and made sure it happened.

We are particularly shocked at the cruelty to which Kulot was apparently subjected before his killers ended his life. Based on reports, the boy received more than 30 stab wounds on his chest. His face was wrapped, and his lifeless body dumped into a river almost 150 kilometers away from home.

There were earlier allegations that Carlo may have been involved in a crime. Whether or not the allegations are true, our view is that the boy’s death and the manner in which the killing was perpetrated cannot be justified.

And, what about Kulot? What could a 14-year-old boy much-beloved by his peers and his community have done to merit such a gruesome death?

Were their deaths part of a conspiracy against our youth?

Last week, we raised concern over reports of growing online child pornography. The malady is part of the war against our youth being waged by powerful human trafficking syndicates.

A similar war is being waged against our youth by forces involved in the manufacture and distribution of illegal drugs. Now, this. Today, my family and I offer our prayers for the families of Carl and Kulot. We shall pray, too, for all of us – that we may all find the solution and the right steps so that the war against our young may finally stop.

May we all be reminded of the words of Christ: “And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”