Detainee attempts suicide using underwear’s garter

CEBU, Philippines - It was a “brief” suicide attempt.

A detainee of Mabolo Police Station reportedly tried to commit suicide yesterday morning using the garter of his underwear.

Pricilo Ijurpe, 35, of Barangay Babag Cebu City, is now recuperating at a public hospital in Cebu City after he was saved by his co-detainees from his suicide attempt.

According to the report, at around 5 a.m. yesterday, 40-year-old detainee Kneilan Manungas woke up to the sight of Ijurpe already hanging from the ceiling of their cell’s toilet and already unresponsive.

Ijurpe reportedly used the garter of his underwear to tie his neck.

Upon seeing Ijurpe’s situation, Manungas immediately called the attention of the jail guards on duty as he took the initiative to lift Ijurpe so that the latter would not be further choked by the garter.

He said a janitor, who also saw the scene, went inside and cut the garter.

Personnel from the Emergency Response Unit Foundation arrived and rushed Ijurpe to Cebu City Medical Center.

Ijurpe was jailed last Sunday after he allegedly struck his neighbor with a piece of wood.

As a co-detainee, Manungas said he knew Ijurpe to be a loner and a silent type of person who does not mingle with the other detainees.

“Estoryahan namo na siya, pakataw-on pero dili g’yud na mokatawa,” he said.

He said Ijurpe shared to them his problems about the conflict in his family. Ijurpe had allegedly been telling them about his plan to commit suicide and they just advised him not to do so.

Manungas said he once saw Ijurpe holding a packing tape and threw it outside the jail in fear that Ijurpe would commit suicide using it. He said they did not expect Ijurpe would be using the garter of his underwear.

“Mao ‘to pagkadlawon, nahitabo gyud,” said Manungas.

Senior Inspector Hartzel Bellido, chief of Mabolo Police Station, said Ijurpe was already in a stable condition yesterday.

Bellido said they are still looking into the real reason why the detainee tried to take his life.

“We don’t know kung tungod ba sa kaso niya or there are mental factors that have to be evaluated,” Bellido said, adding that it could also be due to stress brought by congestion inside the detention cell. —(FREEMAN)