Justice office utility worker kills self over debts

DESPONDENT over her debts, a utility worker working at the Department of Justice (DOJ) committed suicide on Monday inside a fiscal’s office by ingesting a cleaning agent.

The victim, Arlyn Abiles, 32, residing in Muntinlupa and an employee of Dear John Janitorial Services, was found lifeless, her face and extremities already dark, by DOJ employees and other utility workers around 2:30 p.m. in the office of State Prosecutor Caridad Junio at Room 127 of the DOJ main building.

A suicide note was found beside her body.

Abiles was immediately brought to the emergency room of the nearby Philippine General Hospital but she expired at 7:25 p.m., her sister-in-law Flor Abiles told reporters.

According to Narcisa Sison, a janitress and friend of the victim, Abiles confided to her last week of her plan to take her life because of her numerous problems, including her P300,000 debt. Like her, Abiles has been working at the DOJ for almost eight years.

“Nakita ko pa sya kanina, nagpo-polish ng sahig. Dati na sya malungkot, lagi naman syang malungkot. Kumakanta pa sya na yung lyrics na hanggang ngayon na lang daw ang buhay. Sabi ko sa kanya dati pera lang yan, pwede pang bayaran,” Sison said.

She also narrated that Abiles told her she will not kill herself because she still believed in God.

That same afternoon while they were having lunch, another co-worker, Mikee Gonzales, said that she saw Abiles put something from a small vial over her food.

Case investigator PO3 Crisanto Celestial of the Manila Police District Station 5 said they are still determining what cleaning agent Abiles took, but it was likely a silver cleaner as she was seen holding one before she committed suicide. (JCV/Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)