TWO female students were found dead inside an office at the Signal Village National High School in Taguig City on Friday evening, November 10, 2023.
The students who were identified as Mary Nicole Picar, 15, a Grade 10 student, and Irish Sheen Manalo, 13, a Grade 8 student, were found hanging from a steel grill with a rope tied around their necks.
Their bodies were found by another student around 11 p.m. She said she went back to school to look for the two students upon learning through a group chat that they did not go home.
The witness said she saw the two students around 7:45 p.m. and told her that they were already on their way home.
Families of the students as well as the parents of the school’s students are seeking justice as they urged authorities to investigate and let the truth about the incident come out.
The Taguig police said that based on their initial investigation, there was no foul play involved.
“The initial evidence gathered by the Philippine National Police-Taguig and the Scene of Crime Operation (Soco) do not indicate foul play in the deaths of two female high school students whose lifeless bodies were discovered almost midnight of Friday, November 10, at Signal Village National High School,” the Taguig police said in a statement.
“PNP (Philippine National Police)-Taguig urges the public to refrain from making speculations that could worsen the situation experienced by the grieving families. PNP-Taguig assures everyone, especially the bereaved families, that the investigation will continue and it will be conducted thoroughly and expeditiously. PNP-Taguig thanks the city government of Taguig for its full support to the bereaved families and cooperation with the ongoing investigation,” it added.
The Taguig City Government, however, assured the grieving families of its full support “as they struggle to comprehend this inexplicable misfortune.”
Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano has instructed authorities to conduct a thorough investigation that would shed light on the tragic event.
"We kindly request the public to avoid sharing unverified information on social media that may only hurt the feelings of the bereaved families," Cayetano said.
"We seek God’s guidance, and call on the church leaders, teachers and school administrators, parents, and community leaders to come together for our young people and help them navigate this difficult experience," she added. (SunStar Philippines)