Cops still probing death of Grade 5 pupil in Antipolo
INQUIRER FILES
The family of a Grade 5 male pupil in Antipolo City is determined on pursuing criminal charges against the teacher who slapped their son, allegedly resulting in hemorrhage and the minor’s death after 11 days.
But police investigators said they were still awaiting the result of the autopsy to determine the real cause of death.
In a report from the Rizal provincial police office, 14-year-old Francis Jay Gumikib complained to his mother how his teacher in Peñafrancia Spring Valley Elementary School in Barangay Cupang, hit him around 9 a.m. on Sept. 20. It happened after Gumikib reported his noisy classmates to the teacher.
Based on the account of Gumikib’s mother, Elena Minggoy, the teacher allegedly pulled Gumikib’s collar and hair and slapped him in the ear just as he returned to his seat.
Gumikib complained of pain in the ear and dizziness after being hit by the teacher.
He still managed to attend school the following days. But on Sept. 26, Minggoy rushed Gumikib to Amang Memorial Medical Center due to continued dizziness, “intolerable pain” in the head and vomiting.
At the hospital, Gumikib became unconscious and went into a coma. At 10:21 a.m. on Oct. 2—six days after he was rushed to the hospital—Gumikib was pronounced dead by his attending physician.
Hemorrhage found
In a TV interview on Tuesday, Executive Master Sgt. Divina Rafael, chief of the women and children desk of Antipolo police, said the doctor found a hemorrhage inside the brain of Gumikib.
Rafael said police investigators already talked to the teacher, who admitted that she slapped Gumikib but said “it was not hard.” The teacher is currently in the custody of the school principal.
“We are still waiting for the result of the autopsy to see if we can file criminal complaints against the teacher,” Rafael said. The police are not ruling out the possibility of other incidents in 11 days that may have caused the hemorrhage leading to the boy’s death.
A case of homicide in relation to child abuse law (Republic Act No. 7610) is now being prepared for filing before the city prosecutor’s office against the teacher.
In a statement on Tuesday, the City Schools Division Office of Antipolo said it was already “taking appropriate actions to address the alleged child abuse incident.” INQ
