Boy, 15, hangs self after mom’s scolding

A 15-YEAR-OLD eighth grader reportedly committed suicide outside his home in a village in Boljoon, southern Cebu.

Tanods led by Rostico Polpol found the body of Joey (real name withheld) hanging from a branch of a molave tree, locally known as tugas, around 8 a.m. last Monday, the start of classes.

The boy’s body was already in the early stage of decomposition.

Five hours later, a four-year-old girl died after the improvised shotgun (pugakhang) she and her 13-year-old aunt were playing with went off and hit her in the head in Barangay Perrelos, Carcar City.

Perrelos Barangay Captain Richard Ybañez, in a phone interview, said the girl died later that night at a public hospital.

Berated

Wala makahibawo ang mga bata nga mobuto diay to (The girls didn’t know the gun was loaded),” he said.

In the Boljoon incident, investigators led by SPO1 Fernando Toledo learned that Joey used a nylon in tying his neck to the tree. The boy was reportedly not chatty and had a bad temper.

Last Friday afternoon, the mother told the police she berated her son for misbehaving. The boy later sulked and went into hiding in the hilly portion of their village.

Joey did not return home, making his parents worried about.

The mother sought the help of Polpol and other tanods to look for the boy. After three days of searching, the team found him.

Toledo suggested to the mother to have the body autopsied to erase doubts of foul play.

In Perrelos, the team led by PO2 Lauro Laurel identified the victim as Ziah Lapinid Lawian.

Before the incident at 1 p.m., the girl was playing with her aunt Nhica Lapinid inside their house when the shotgun suddenly fired and hit her in the head. The firearm was left in the house.

The shotgun is owned by Lawian’s uncle, Mark Elton Lapinid, 22. A barangay official turned over the firearm to the police.

SPO2 Randy Chavez said Mark Elton was not detained and they are waiting for the decision of the girl’s family to press charges against him.

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