Probers: No foul play in Taguig students’ deaths

MANILA, Philippines — There was no foul play involved in the deaths of two students in a public school in Taguig City last Friday night, police said yesterday.

In a statement, the Taguig City police said it based its finding on the initial evidence it gathered. It also urged the public to refrain from speculating on the deaths of the two girls, saying such talk could make it worse for the grieving families.

The Taguig police said it “assures everyone, especially the bereaved families, that the investigation will continue and will be conducted thoroughly and expeditiously.”

The bodies of Mary Nicole Picar, 15, a Grade 10 student, and Irish Sheen Manalo, 13, a Grade 8 student, were found in the Girl Scout office on the third floor of Signal Village National High School’s Magsaysay Building at past 10 p.m. on Friday.

Police reported that a witness, a 16-year-old student, said the two girls were last seen at around 7:45 p.m. on Friday. The witness said they told her they were about to go home.

However, she learned through their Messenger group chat that the two did not go home. The witness then searched for the victims and found their bodies hanging by a rope tied around their necks to a steel grill in the office.

The witness informed the security guards, who reported the incident to the Taguig police.

In a separate statement, the Taguig City government said Mayor Lani Cayetano has instructed authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident.

It also asked the public to avoid sharing unverified information on social media “that may only hurt the feelings of the bereaved families.”

“Our deepest sympathies go out to their grieving families. The city government assures the grieving families of its full support as they struggle to comprehend this inexplicable misfortune,” the city government said.

It added that counselors, psychologists and psychiatrists will be sent to the school to help the victims’ fellow students, friends and teachers to cope with the incident.

The city government also said it relaunched last month a program that aims to address anxiety, depression, hopelessness and suicidal tendencies in students through monthly plenary workshops and weekly small group discussions in schools with volunteers from faith-based organizations.

Interested parties may also call the Taguig Mental Health Teleconsultation Hotline at 0929-521-8373 or contact social workers at 0932-272-4888.

In a Facebook post, Rhea Manalo sought help to find the truth behind the death of her cousin.

She alleged that the police removed the girls’ bodies without the scene being examined by police Scene of the Crime Operations personnel.

The elder Manalo, who believes that her cousin’s death was not a suicide, urged the city government to investigate the incident.

Rhea described the school as “uncooperative” and claimed the school told her that no closed-circuit television camera in the school was working.

“My cousin was an honor student and part of the (Girl Scouts of the Philippines). She’s at Grade 8, Gold Section. She would not dare kill herself. We are still waiting for the autopsy results as of this post,” Rhea said.