Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte visits the wake of Francis Jay Gumikib, the Grade 5 student who died 11 days after his teacher allegedly slapped him, in Antipolo city on Friday, October 6, 2023. (File photo courtesy of Rizal Police Provincial Office)
MANILA, Philippines — The causes of death of Francis Jay Gumikib, a 14-year-old Grade 5 Antipolo student who died days after his teacher slapped him, were brain swelling and bleeding.
Philippine National Police (PNP) Forensic Group (FG) made this revelation on Wednesday.
PNP Forensic Group Director Brigadier General Constancio Chinayog Jr. said autopsy and histopathological exam results showed that Gumukib’s death were caused by intracerebral hemorrhage and edema.
Intracerebral hemorrhage means bleeding due to a ruptured vein, while edema means brain swelling.
Rizal Police Forensic Unit Chief Lieutenant Colonel Maria Analiza Dela Cruz provided the layman’s explanations.
“Non-traumatic ang nature ang pagputok ng ugat na yun,” she said.
(The rupturing of the vein was non-traumatic in nature.)
“[It] is mostly a rare condition, but it’s the most common cause of intracerebral hemorrhage, considering the age group of our patient also,” she noted.
According to Dela Cruz, the symptoms or the bleeding usually occurs in persons ages one to 18.
“At first, asymptomatic, walang symptoms,” she pointed out.
(At first asymptomatic, there are no symptoms.)
“Tapos, bigla na lang, kasi fragile po yung mga ugat na yun na it can rupture or burst simultaneously or spontaneously,” she said.
(Then, all of a sudden, because those veins are fragile, they can rupture or burst simultaneously or spontaneously.)
“And in other cases naman, meron pong tension on that particular anomaly doon sa utak,” she added.
(And in other cases, tension exists on that particular anomaly in the brain.)
Dela Cruz said what causes intracerebral hemorrhage and edema are still unknown.
When asked if the teacher’s slap had triggered Gumikib’s cause of death, Dela Cruz opted not to answer.
She just said the autopsy result “will speak for itself.”
Chinayog, on the other hand, said they have yet to inform the family of the result, before releasing the opinions of the Forensic Group of PNP Medico-Legal Division on the case.
Gumikib was slapped by his teacher last September 21. Five days later the student complained of headache, started vomiting accompanied by blurred vision and ear problems.
His parents brought him to a hospital in Marikina where he lapsed into coma and died after six days on October 2.
Following his death, the Department of Education ordered a 90-day preventive suspension against Gumukib’s teacher last October 10.
RELATED STORIES
PNP eyes release of autopsy report on student who was slapped in school
5th grader dies 11 days allegedly after teacher’s slap in Antipolo City