Korean’s fatal fall from condominium unit ruled a suicide

MANILA, Philippines — A Korean national who reportedly incurred huge losses in fish-raising ventures jumped to his death from his condominium unit in Quezon City and landed on the ground of an adjacent school early morning on Sunday, police said.

Police Officer 3 Randy Bantillo of the Quezon City Police District Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (CIDU) said the body of the Korean, a Mr. Hun, 71, was found near the basketball court of Roosevelt College, which was beside their condominium in Cubao, at around 5:30 a.m.

Bantillo said the body was discovered by the foreign national’s wife (identity withheld upon request).

Police said the Korean national jumped from the terrace of his condominium unit at the 12 floor of the building.

He said his wife told police that she woke up to learn that her husband was not in their unit. When she went out to the terrace, she saw her husband lying on the pavement of the nearby school compound.

He said investigation showed the foreign national was into the business of raising bangus (milkfish) and owned several fish pens in Antipolo and other areas in Rizal province.

“The wife thinks her husband who had been drinking lately suffered from depression,” the police investigator said.

Bantillo said a supposed suicide note addressed to his wife was found inside the master bedroom of the unit.

The letter was written in Korean and translated by the wife to the investigators.

“Dear wife, I cannot bear the shame anymore. Please keep the promise. No funeral ceremony, I don’t deserve it. Simply cremate me and spread my ashes in the river. Don’t bury me please. I want to be free and I want to do whatever I want,” a part of the letter allegedly said.

The wife told police she and her husband have been residents in the country for 11 years and were supposed to return to Korea this year

She explained they decided to return to their country after their fish farm business in Rizal province folded up because of heavy losses.

Meanwhile, a 20-year-old college freshman was found dead inside her room in Novaliches, at around 6:45 p.m. on Saturday by her live-in partner, police said.

CIDU records named the victim as Jayzel Pedrezuela, 20, who studied at the Best Link College of the Philippines.

Pedrezuela’s partner, Jelane Gega, found the suicide’s body hanging inside the room they were renting on the second floor of a house at Lot 4-B Pascual St., Barangay Nagkaisang Nayon, Novaliches.

The victim was rushed to the Divine Hospital but was declared dead on arrival, police said.

Police also said a suicide note in Filipino was left by the victim addressed to Gega.

Gega told police she and her girlfriend had been fighting recently and traded accusations of having affairs with other women.