The province of Davao del Norte and the academic community of the University of the Philippines Manila are reeling from the senseless murder of one of their brightest stars. The victim was Sofia Marie Kokuela, a young woman whose future held immense promise and influence.

Intelligent, confident, a leader, a speaker, and deeply loved by many—these were the words used by her peers to describe Sofia Marie Kokuela. She graduated from senior high school the previous year at Ateneo de Davao University as a third honorable mention.

After graduating, she enrolled at the University of the Philippines Manila for her first year of college. Although only a freshman, she was already standing out on the UP campus and had become one of the most prominent student journalists.

She was a confident speaker and active in all campus activities. One of her main advocacies was to be a voice for many, opposing discrimination and promoting equality.

Beyond her dream of becoming a successful accountant and investment expert, Sofia also aspired to write and convey the messages of those at the bottom—the masses who had no voice.

Sofia wanted to become the voice of the people. Sofia’s potential was vast, but all her dreams will now remain unfulfilled.

On the morning of July 9, 2025, her lifeless body was discovered inside her own room at her family’s house in Tagum City.

On the morning of July 9, 2025, the Tagum City Police Station received a report about a murder case. They immediately proceeded to the location in Purok 3A, La Filipina, Tagum City.

From a distance, the tall house of the Kokuela family was visible. The two-story house had a red roof, was newly built, and was unpainted.

It was large and featured a blend of modern and classic architectural styles. Based on the appearance of the house, it was evident that the occupants were financially well-off.

Inside one of the rooms, they found the victim, a female around 19 years old. She was lying on the floor, soaked in her own blood.

The victim was identified as 19-year-old Sofia Kokuela, known to her family and friends as Pia. According to the victim’s parents, Pia had only been home for a month.

She had returned from Manila, where she was studying, to spend her vacation in Davao del Norte. Her parents last saw her on the night of July 8, 2025, when she entered her room.

The couple then went into their own room to sleep. The next morning, July 9, 2025, at 5:00 a.m., her mother went to check on her.

The parents’ grief was immediate and profound when they saw their daughter’s bloodied body. They first checked the CCTV camera outside the house.

The footage captured four men leaving the premises. According to the victim’s parents, several of their daughter’s valuables were missing.

These included her laptop, iPad, cellphone, ATM card, and other items. They immediately suspected robbery as the motive for the murder.

At the crime scene, SOCO collected several pieces of evidence. These included a small dumbbell, a grass cutter with a blue handle, and a blood-stained handkerchief.

Based on the results of the post-mortem examination, the victim sustained 38 stab wounds across different parts of her body.

In addition, she was found to have lacerations and wounds caused by being struck with a blunt object. Using the CCTV footage as a lead, the Tagum PNP immediately launched a hot pursuit operation.

Using their intelligence network, they quickly received a tip that the suspects were located on Ferito Street, Mankilam, Tagum City.

They immediately went to the area and successfully apprehended two of the suspects. According to the police report, the suspects were packing their belongings.

They had likely realized the police were closing in and planned to flee the area. Only two were apprehended because the other two suspects had already escaped.

According to the police report, the suspects were not residents of the area. They were from Maragusan, Davao de Oro, and were merely renting a place nearby.

More surprisingly, the two suspects arrested were both minors. One was 17 years old, and the other was only 14.

The police recovered the victim’s missing valuables, including her Apple laptop, iPad, a damaged iPhone, and two watches.

They also seized a butterfly knife (balisong), a kitchen knife with bloodstains, and another butterfly knife, all suspected of being used in the murder.

Upon their arrest, the two minors immediately admitted to the crime. They claimed they had been surveilling the Kokuela house for two days before breaking in.

They allegedly intended only to rob the victim, but she woke up and saw them. Panicking, they stabbed her repeatedly and decided to kill her.

The report indicated that the group traveled to different areas as part of their “akyat-bahay” (house-breaking) modus operandi.

Because the two suspects are minors and fall under the juvenile law, they were immediately turned over to the Women and Children’s Protection Desk.

Meanwhile, police noted that one of the escaped suspects, “alias Royroy,” is 18 years old. Therefore, if apprehended, he will be charged with robbery with homicide.

The Davao del Norte Provincial Police stated they are doing everything to catch the remaining fugitives. They are coordinating with various police branches across the Philippines, especially in neighboring areas, to expedite the arrests.

This matter only added to the pain currently felt by the family. Despite the ordeal Sofia suffered, it seems highly likely that the perpetrators may not face the full consequences of the law due to their age.

A police official noted that the support from other intelligence communities helped quickly locate the suspects, who were ready to flee.

The Regional Director and Provincial Director supervised the manhunt, confirming that the suspects were ready to abandon their rented house. Sadly, two still managed to escape.