On the night of June 28, 1993, Eileen Sarmenta and Allan Gomez, students of the University of the Philippines in Los Baños, were abducted by men of Calauan Mayor Antonio Sanchez at gunpoint.
The two were brought to Erais Farm in Barangay Curba, owned by the Mayor. Eileen was gagged by a handkerchief and her hands, like Allan, were tied. A white towel was wound around Allan's mouth. Court records showed Sanchez's men also brought Gomez along "to avoid complications."
The two were brought inside the resthouse where Eileen was taken to Sanchez's room and Allan was badly beaten up by Luis Corcolon, Rogelio "Boy" Corcolon, Zoilo Ama and George Medialdea and thereafter thrown out of the resthouse.
Pepito Kawit followed-up by striking Allan's diaphragm with the **** of an armalite, causing Allan to fall against a cement box. Brion thought Allan was already dead, but Kawit said that his death would come later.
Aurelio Centeno, who eventually became a star witness, joined Sanchez's personal aides Edwin Cosico and Raul Alorico to watch television at the adjacent resthouse. Alorico told Centeno that the Mayor had been eagerly waiting for the group and worried that they would not arrive.
At around 1:00 a.m. of the next day, a crying Eileen was dragged out of the resthouse by Luis and Medialdea, her hair disheveled, her mouth covered by a handkerchief, her hands still tied and stripped of her shorts. The Mayor, clad merely in a white polo, appeared and thanked Luis and Medialdea for the gift. He is alleged to have stated: "I am through with her. She's all yours". When asked what would happen to Allan, Medialdea assured the Mayor that they would also kill him for full measure. Eileen and Allan were then loaded in the Tamaraw van by the appellants and headed for Calauan, followed closely by the ambulance. Kawit finished off Allan with a single gunshot from his Armalite.
The men then stopped at a sugarcane field in Sitio Paputok, Kilometro 74 of Barangay Mabacan, and gang-raped Eileen. Kawit invited Centeno to join the sexual fiasco but Centeno refused as he could not, in conscience, bear the bestiality being committed on Eileen.
Despite Eileen's pleas to spare her life, Luis Corcolon fired his baby Armalite at her, and ordered Centeno to get rid of Eileen's body.
Following separate investigations by different law enforcement agencies, prosecutors pursued charges against Sanchez and his men, but did not include Teofilo "Kit" Alqueza, son of Gen. Dictador Alqueza, as respondents. Sanchez had claimed Alqueza was the mastermind.
Sanchez's conviction
On March 14, 1995, the judge concluded the 16-month Sarmenta-Gomez murder trial with the finding that Calauan Mayor Antonio Sanchez and several henchmen (only some of whom were policemen) were guilty of raping and murdering Sarmenta and killing Sarmenta's boyfriend. Sanchez is currently serving (7) terms of reclusion perpetua (40 years per term) for the crime. On January 25, 1999, the Philippine Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the Regional Trial Court. On August 29, 1999, Sanchez was given a double life term by the Supreme Court for a different case. Together with his seven life terms for the Sarmenta-Gomez murder, Sanchez will have to spend a total of 360 years in jail.
Source: Wikipedia