Boy hangs self inside Barili school compound
A 13-year-old boy was found hanging lifeless from a mango tree in his school compound in Barili, southern Cebu.
Ramsel Halos, a grade 6 pupil of Maghanoy Elementary School, was discovered by his schoolmates past 3 p.m. Wednesday.
He had a nylon rope tied around his neck.
Barili police said there was no evidence of foul play and that Ramsel may have been despondent over personal matters.
The boy lived with his grandmother, Isabel Sapanta, together with two other siblings after their parents separated.
The boy’s mother, Esmeralda, said she regretted not acting sooner when her son was sending her text messages asking her to come home.
Ramsel was a candidate for class valedictorian, said relatives.
The school’s guidance counselor, Vivelyn Balucos, said many saw the pupil last Wednesday.
Although no one saw him climb the tree, a habal-habal driver saw the pupil standing near it.
Classes were suspended Wednesday afternoon to celebrate World Teachers’ Day.
Balucos, who is also the school’s Boy Scout adviser, said Ramsel used the same nylon rope in their Boy Scout knot-tying activities in killing himself.
The teacher said Ramsel used to confide about how he longed to see his parents, whom he had last seen three years ago.
“Ma’am, I want to be with my Mama and Papa and to see them in front of me and my siblings,” the teacher recalled Ramsel saying in Cebuano.
PO2 Edilfonso Cutas said there was an early account that the boy was worried that he had no uniform for their Boy Scout campaign activities next week.
But the boy’s grandmother, Isabel Sapanta, 61, in a phone interview denied this.
She said Ramsel had a Boy Scout uniform because the school provides it for free.
She said her grandson, a champion in last year’s “Sci-dama” (a science competition), used to go home late from school since he was busy in school activities.
The school gave P8,000 for the boy’s coffin.
Regional Director Ricaredo Borgonia of the Department of Education said the school has no responsibility for the child’s death since the incident happened after school hours.
He said the department would extend assistance to the family through donations. Rhea Ruth Rosell, Jhunnex Napallacan with Candeze Mongoya
If you or someone you know is in need of assistance, please reach out to the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH). Their crisis hotlines are available at 1553 (Luzon-wide landline toll-free), 0917-899-USAP (8727), 0966-351-4518, and 0908-639-2672. For more information, visit their website: (https://doh.gov.ph/NCMH-Crisis-Hotline)
Alternatively, you can contact Hopeline PH at the following numbers: 0917-5584673, 0918-8734673, 88044673. Additional resources are available at ngf-mindstrong.org, or connect with them on Facebook at Hopeline PH.
