Hospital patient's third-floor fall declared a suicide

MANILA, Philippines - Police ruled as suicide the death of a male patient who reportedly fell from the third floor of the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center Friday night.

Manila Police District’s homicide section chief Inspector Armando Macaraeg said investigators were initially puzzled why the hospital staff cleared the crime scene prior to their arrival.

The hospital staff informed investigators that Adam Villanueva, 47, a laborer from Caloocan City, jumped from the third floor and died on the spot. Villanueva had just been admitted to the hospital’s male ward Friday afternoon, reportedly for treatment of gastrointestinal bleeding.

However, patients and staff said they were surprised when the victim left his bed during the night and jumped through   a window.

At the hospital morgue, police noted that the victim had a gaping head wound. Macaraeg said they placed the alleged suicide under extensive investigation, but the widow and sister of the victim refused to be investigated and claimed that he indeed jumped from the third floor.

“With the absence of other evidence to thwart the alleged suicide and the refusal of the victim’s kin to be investigated, we are closing the case and declared his death as suicide,” Macaraeg said.