The Grade 5 student who died 11 days after he was slapped by his teacher on his ear in Antipolo City succumbed to global brain edema, the death certificate from the hospital that treated him showed.

Francis Jay Gumikib

The victim, identified as Francis Jay Gumikib, a 14-year-old student of Peńafrancia Elementary School, died after he lapsed into a coma at a hospital a few days after the slapping incident. Gumikib was brought to the hospital after complaining of severe earache and eventual vomiting.

According to the document released on Wednesday, Oct. 4, the boy died due to global brain edema, with an antecedent cause of acute intraparenchymal hemorrhage or bleeding into the brain tissue. Other significant conditions which contributed to his death included presumptive pulmonary tuberculosis and child physical abuse.

In a TV interview, Elena Minggoy, Francis' mother, said she was not aware that her son was suffering from any illness or disease. However, she said, Francis showed symptoms after he was rushed to the hospital which included headache, eye pain, vomiting, earache, and vomiting of blood on Sept. 26.

The boy went into a coma during his confinement and died on Oct. 2.

Police investigators handling the case said the boy's mother reported to them that one of Francis' classmates told her that their Filipino teacher pulled his hair and slapped him on his ear while unruliness was prevailing in the classroom on Sept. 20.

Autopsy

The authorities said they are now waiting for the results of the autopsy by the Philippine National Police (PNP) Forensic Group on Thursday, Oct. 5, that lasted for more than two hours.

They added that it may take up to seven days before the results can be released.

Police said they will base on the autopsy report the charges to be filed against the victim's teacher.

Antipolo Police Chief Lt. Col. Ryan Manongdo said the teacher who slapped Francis denied to the police that she slapped the boy and instead said that she just tapped him on his face.

He said at least two of the victim's classmates who claimed to have witnessed the slapping incident were willing to give their statements to the police.

On Tuesday, Oct. 3, the principal of the school met with the child's family to relay his teacher's request to talk with them.

“Sabi ko po, sa ngayon, ‘wag po muna kasi masakit. Okay lang sa ibang teacher na nagmahal sa mga anak ko lalo na kay Francis, pero siya na nanakit sa anak ko, hindi ko pa talaga kayang makita siya sa ngayon (I said I didn't want to see her now because it's still painful for me. It's okay for me to see the other teachers who loved my children, especially Francis, but not her, the one who hurt my son)," Elena said.

“Umiiyak daw po ang teacher… Sobrang pagsisisi. Tapos sinabi ng teacher na ‘yan lang din ang pangkabuhayan ng teacher kasi wala namang trabaho ang asawa niya (The principal told me the teacher was crying out of remorse. She also told her that teaching is her only source of income because her husband is unemployed)," she added.

Francis' mother said she still wants the teacher to remain in the school while the investigation is ongoing for her to remember what she did to her son.

"Mas gusto ko na habang nandito po, habang kinakaso ang anak ko, mas gugustuhin kong diyan pa rin siya magturo sa eskwelahan. Mas gusto ko na nandiyan siya, naalala niya kung anong ginawa sa anak ko (I want her to remain as a teacher in the same school while the case of my son is ongoing. I want her to remain there so she will always remember what she did to my son)," Elena said.