THE father of 2023 Bar passer Hannah Joy Cesista, who died in an encounter between the government forces and suspected New People's Army (NPA) rebels in Purok Matin-ao 2, Barangay Campagao town, Bilar town, Bohol, on Friday morning, February 23, 2024, spoke to members of the media in Cebu City for the first time regarding his daughter's fate.

Eutropio Cesista said he was notified by the National Union of Peoples' Lawyers (NUPL) organization last Friday about his daughter's situation.

The tragic news saddened Eutropio.

(I sincerely hope that you won't experience this. It's very painful, and we weren't prepared for my dearest daughter to pass away at this point.)

He said he was not angry with the government for Hannah Joy's death, but he was unhappy with the group that Hannah joined -- of which he disapproved at first.

He said he only gave his daughter permission to join the NUPL after the latter informed him of the club's purpose and that it is an organization of lawyers.

He revealed he warned his daughter to be careful.

Eutropio hoped his daughter would be the last victim because losing a child they love is extremely hard for parents.

When a different group -- which he did not identify -- intervened, Eutropio said he would have consented to have Hannah's body examined by an autopsy.

But he later changed his mind.

He said he already accepted about what happened to his daughter and that he does not want any groups to get involved.

"Ayokong may makikisawsaw," according to Eutropio.

Eutropio works at the Department of Information and Communications Technology in Northern Samar, while his wife is a public elementary school teacher.

Their other daughter is engaged in an online business in Manila, but he refused to give more details. (AYB, TPT)