Guingona grandson falls to death

A 20-year-old grandson of former Vice President Teofisto Guingona Jr. and nephew of Senator Teofisto Guingona III fell to his death from the 31st floor of a hotel in Muntinlupa City Thursday.

At press time, police investigators said they were still trying to determine whether Martin “Mark” Guingona-Lamb killed himself or fell by accident.

However, a hotel personnel who witnessed the incident as well as a statement issued by Senator Guingona indicated that his death may have been a suicide.

Investigator Senior Police Officer 2 Rodel Torres said that their initial findings showed that hours before fell to his death, Lamb, a student of De La Salle University and a resident of Magallanes Village in Makati City, asked his friend Miguel Enrique Munarriz, 22, to accompany him to Vivere Suites Hotel on Asean Drive in Alabang, because he wanted to unwind.

When they got to the hotel, the two went to Skylounge, a poolside bar and restaurant with an open-air viewing deck.

Personal problems

Munarriz told the police that he and Lamb had a bottle of beer each and then split another one as the latter talked about his problems.

However, he did not go into details as to what the victim’s problems were.

Munarriz added that at 2:35 a.m., they were informed by a security guard that the establishment was closing down for the day.

He said he left the restaurant ahead of Lamb although he told the latter to meet him at the hotel lobby while he went to get their car from the parking lot.

After Munarriz left, Ronald Madrigal, a waiter, said Lamb moved to the viewing deck and jumped over the edge.

‘Devasted, brokenhearted’

Marie Guingona-Lamb, the victim’s mother and sister of Senator Guingona said in a statement that she was “devastated and brokenhearted at the untimely and accidental death of my beloved Mark. We are grateful for the outpouring of love, condolences and prayers from family and friends.”

In a separate statement, the senator said that he had learned that his nephew’s death might have been brought about by “personal concerns.”

“We understand that Mark is young and may have been unable to bear [the] burden of such concerns. The intensity of his pain is known only to him,” he added.

“In times like these, our family hopes that we can mourn, go through and process the pain of this tragic experience in private. We also hope that Mark would be allowed his own privacy in his last moments. We are grateful for the outpouring of sympathy and moral support from friends,” he said.

Lamb’s body has been taken to a funeral home for autopsy. Arrangements are being made for his wake at Santuario de San Antonio Church in Forbes Park, Makati City.

Originally posted at 08:10 am | Thursday, October 27, 2011