GIRL, 17, KILLS SELF IN SCHOOL
Initial investigation finds student may have family problems, among others
The 17-year-old student seemed bent on taking her own life.
Because of an alleged family problem, grade 12 student Jonah Villarin of the Asian College of Technology International Education Foundation Inc. (ACTIEF) jumped to her death from the school's seventh floor on P. del Rosario St., Cebu City at 4 p.m. yesterday.
She jumped from the open window of the ladies' room and landed on the parking lot on the ground floor at 4 p.m.
"She first tried to jump from the eighth floor at 2 p.m. but she was seen by a teacher who brought her to the guidance counselor. The counselor called the victim's mother who went to the school," SPO1 Winston Ybañez, investigator of the Homicide Section of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), said.
When the girl's mother arrived and talked to the victim, Ybañez said that the girl asked for permission to go to the toilet. While her mother was waiting, she jumped to her death.
An ambulance rushed her to the Vicente Memorial Medical Center where doctors tried to revive her. She died at 6 p.m. due to severe head injuries.
Julie Anne Caiso, 18, Villarin's classmate in grade 11, said it was the third time the latter tried to take her life.
"First she tried to jump off the window of their room, second was on the lobby and this was the third time she jumped," Caiso said.
Caiso said Villarin was a happy person in school. "It's like she doesn't have any problem," she said.
Asked what may have troubled the victim, Caiso said that Villarin was not the type who would talk about her problems.
The victim's alleged boyfriend (name withheld) rushed to the school when their friends informed him about what happened.
"I still couldn't believe it. Did it really happen? What happened?" he said, his lip bleeding after being punched reportedly by Villarin's family member when he arrived at the school.
He denied that he had a fight with the victim and said that the girl took her life because of problems within the Villarin family.
Ybañez said the victim was hysterical prior to the incident.
"The mother claimed that it was normal for the daughter to be scolded. The victim was allegedly sensitive, according to the mother," Ybañez said.
In a statement, ACTIEF President Dr. Stephen Descallar said the school administration and the students were shocked by Villarin's death.
Before the incident, Descallar said Villarin showed erratic behavior in her class.
Descallar confirmed that she tried to climb out of the classroom's window but she was restrained by her teacher who then called Marcus Agonia Jr., the school's guidance counselor. It was Agonia who contacted the mother of Villarin.
"From their conversation, Jonah admitted that she has been physically, verbally and psychologically abused by her parents at home but did not elaborate when asked why. She just said, ‘ gikapoy na ko sa akong kinabuhi kay puros lang pain'," Descallar said.
When her mother arrived at the guidance counselor's office, Descallar said Villarin asked permission to go to the toilet where she locked herself up.
"And things quickly happened. In a matter of seconds, she slipped out of the cubicle's window," Descallar narrated.
Even before yesterday, Descallar said that the guidance counselor has recommended to the mother to have Villarin examined by a clinical psychologist due to her earlier suicide attempts.
Villarin reportedly confessed to the guidance counselor that she once ingested a dozen packs of vetsin, one dozen of amoxicillin capsules and biogesic.
Dr. Rene Obra, chief of VSMMC's Center for Behavioral Sciences, earlier advised the family of suicidal persons to immediately seek medical help from psychologists.