“I lost my son in an unimaginable, tragic way that makes it so painful that words cannot express. It was the most difficult moment in my entire life,” wrote Katherine Cheng in her message titled “Public statement from a mother.”
Ms Cheng, however, said she hopes Kingston’s death will serve as a reminder of the dangers of drunk driving and prompt authorities to improve efforts to ensure a safer Cebu.
A mother’s resolve
She said they would leave it to the authorities and the courts to decide on the cases filed against driver Sean Andrew Pajarillo and would respect whatever the outcome may be.
“Initially, filing a case was never in our minds. We are too hurt, and we wanted to lay our son to rest in peace,” Ms Cheng said.
“But we want to honor him, and we don't want the tragedy to go to waste, as if it did not happen. The family's intention to file the case is to make the incident official so that other loving families will never feel our pain.”
Night of tragedy
Kingston, who put up The Mill Lifestyle Café at Ayala Center Cebu when he was only 21, was walking on the sidewalk with his friend along Paseo Saturnino Drive in Barangay Banilad, Cebu City, past midnight of Feb. 8 when he was hit by a speeding Toyota Innova.
A police report showed that Pajarillo, 21, first struck a parked Toyota Vios at a high speed.
Instead of stopping, Pajarillo accelerated but ended up hitting Kingston who was thrown on impact and landed near an electric post.
Pajarillo continued driving until he lost control of his vehicle which turned on its side near Maria Luisa Subdivision, a posh subdivision in Cebu City where he lived.
Kingston was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Legal process begins
Pajarillo, who failed to present his driver’s license and registration papers of his vehicle, was also brought to the hospital where he stayed for several days.
Charges of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide and damage to property were filed against him on Feb. 13 but Pajarillo was released after posting bail of P72,000.
What happened to Kingston also brought to light the lack of breathalyzer in Cebu City, a highly urbanized city that was consistently in the country’s top 10 richest cities.
A breathalyzer is a portable device that would estimate the alcohol level of a person by measuring alcohol in their breath.
Social media erupted in outrage after Pajarillo tested negative in a liquor test, despite witness accounts and videos circulating online indicating he appeared intoxicated before getting into his car outside a Cebu City bar shortly before the incident.
Police later said the sobriety test at the city-run Cebu City Medical Center was conducted 19 hours after the incident due to the lack of alcohol-testing equipment at the private hospital where Pajarillo was initially confined and delays in transporting him to CCMC.
Because of the incident, city officials announced plans to buy breathalyzers.
A life remembered
In the meantime, the Cheng family is reeling from the loss of a “kind, loving and supportive” son.
Ms Cheng described Kingston as someone “every parent would pray for,” a supportive brother and a true friend who was warm and loving to everyone.
“He gives without expecting anything in return. Kingston is and will always be a gift- a gift that keeps on giving,” she said.
“Now that Kingston has been taken from us, every part and corner of our home feels empty - a void that can't be ignored. His absence is deeply felt. His silence is deafening,” Ms Cheng said in her message.
“We miss our family with Kingston because we can never be the same and can never be whole without him. No amount of remorse or sincere apologies can ever bring him back. A part of me is missing. Kingston is missing. I don't know how I can bear this; it is unbearable for any mother, for any parent.”
Ms Cheng also extended her gratitude to the support that the family had been receiving since the tragedy.
She said that through their stories about their son, they found solace knowing that Kingston lived a meaningful and intentional life.
“And through our shared stories, Kingston will continue to live on. May his life continuously remind us to live with kindness, sincerity and purpose.”
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