THE 12-year-old girl who was found dead with slit throat in Caloocan City on Jan. 23 was laid to rest on Monday afternoon.
Mhyrraquel Singson, a Grade 6 student at St. Benedict School of Novaliches, was buried at the Divine Garden Memorial, Loma de Gato in Bulacan at about 3 p.m.
She was found dead with her throat slashed and a stab wound in the waist in her house at Barangay 171, Bagumbong in Caloocan City.
The victim’s father, Colenso Singson, 48, said that from Mhyrraquel’s birth up until her death, she kept on surprising him.
“Mhyrraquel was given that name because she was a ‘miracle baby,'” he said.
Colenso said they combined the word ‘myrrh,’ one of the gifts of the three wise men to Jesus, and the name ‘Raquel’ to form Mhyrraquel’s name to give tribute to God and her mother.
Raquilita, Mhyrraquel’s mother, had difficulties during pregnancy, and Mhyrraquel was born prematurely at eight months old. After that, she spent two more weeks inside an incubator.
After that, Mhyrraquel grew up living a normal childhood. Colenso said she was the “sweetest” among his three children.
She made friends and played with her cousins or girls from her school. She served as a volunteer at the “kids church.” She had a penchant for helping people and dreamed of becoming a doctor, Colenso said.
The next thing that surprised Colenso was her daughter’s love for Math. As a social welfare officer, he admitted that he was not good with numbers.
“Madalas sila mag-away ng kuya niya sa Math kasi kuya nila ‘yung nagt-tutor sa kanila dati, kaya nagulat ako na gusto niya pala ang Math,” he said.
When asked about how she was at school, Colenso said “Hindi ko masasagot yung mga tanong na ‘yan tungkol sa school niya kung hindi siya namatay,”
Hundreds of her former schoolmates and teachers came to visit. They described Mhyrraquel as someone friendly who often had a smile on her face. Some even shared that Mhyrraquel tutored them in Math.
“Nash-shock kami on the number of visitors that Myrrh got, telling us how their relationship with Myrrh is, telling us how loved she was,” Colenso said.
Now, Colenso is only asking for swift justice for his daughter’s death.
Mhyrraquel’s uncle, Reynaldo Urbano, was one tagged in the killing. He is now being held at the Caloocan City Jail and is facing murder charges.
When asked on what he would like to tell Mhyrraquel now, Colenso only had words of gratefulness.
“My wife and I already prayed,” he said. “Thank you for the 12 years that we shared together, the love that we shared, and all the things we have shared.” (Minka Tiangco)
