Girl, nine, ‘kills’ self

CEBU, Philippines - A nine-year-old girl in Tabuelan, Cebu was reported to have committed suicide after her mother found her with a rope looped around her neck inside their house at the back of the town’s public market last Thursday.

The police could not quite believe that the girl killed herself as she was kneeling and not hanging from the truss of their house when discovered.

Initial investigation, though, showed no sign of foul play in her death.

PO1 Ver Hortelano, Tabuelan Police Station assistant investigator, said that prior to the incident, the victim was told by her mother to watch over her two-year-old brother and one-year-old sister.

He said the mother was going to a Department of Social Welfare and Development activity in Sitio Quasi, Poblacion.

“Siya ‘say gipabantay sa iyang mga manghod kay iyang mama motabang og pang-guna kay naa man kuno’y libre nga bugas inig-human (The girl was told to take care of her siblings because the mother was going to help cultivate a field as she would receive rice as payment),” Hortelano said.

The victim’s father reportedly works as a construction worker in Cebu City and goes home only on weekends. Hortelano said the family has no relative in the area to whom the children could be entrusted.

“Pagkauli sa inahan gisugat kuno ni siya sa iyang dos anyos nga anak ug niingon nga, ‘Ma, si ate.’  Iyang gipangita dayon ang bata ug mao nalang iyang nakit-an nga galuhod na ang bata ug duna nay pisi sa liog (When the mother came home the two-year-old brother directed her attention to the victim, who was kneeling and had a rope around her neck),” said Hortelano.

The child was rushed to the Tabuelan Health Center and then transferred to the Tuburan District Hospital, where she was declared dead on arrival by attending physician Dr. Dervy Jake Malazarte.

“Hasta sab kami di makatuo nga naghikog ning bataa. Abot raman ta gyud gani sa bata ang pisi kung magbarog siya di gyud ingon nga nagbitay siya.  So kung naghikog man gyud gani ning bataa kagustuhan gyud ni niya (Even us could not believe she really killed herself, as she was not really hanging and could have just stood up to save herself. So if she did commit suicide, then she was really intent on dying),” said Hortelano.

He said child’s mother was also clueless why her daughter did such a thing because their relationship was fine the past few weeks.

“Ingon sa inahan buotan man kuno ning bataa, hilumon kuno ug masugo pud. Wala pud kuno ni niya makasab-i sa mga niaging semana o pag katung adlawa mismo (The mother said the victim was a good child, the silent type, and was obedient. The child also received no scolding prior to her death),” said Hortelano.

Meanwhile, Senior Inspector Alfredo Kuhay Jr., Tabuelan police chief, told The FREEMAN in a telephone interview that they are making a thorough investigation regarding the case so determine if foul play was involved.

He said, though, that so far such was not the case.

Kuhay said mother told them that there were no signs of struggle on the child.

“Naka-tsinelas pa gani kuno ang bata, ug ang mga igsuon aning bata’a di sab makitaan og sign nga na- trauma or nahadlok ba (the child was still wearing her slippers and her siblings did not show signs of being traumatized),” he said.

Kuhay also said the doctor found no other mark on the victim’s body aside from that around her neck. — USJR Masscom Intern Patrice Kate Rebuta/RHM (FREEMAN)