SPD: Autopsy results show no foul play in 2 students' death inside Taguig school

The Southern Police District (SPD) said based on an autopsy conducted, there was no foul play involved in the death of two female students of Signal Village National High School (SVNHS) in Taguig. 

Last Nov. 10, Irish Sheen Manalo, 13, and Mary Nicole Picar, 15, were found dead at about 11 p.m. inside the Girls Scout Mini Office on the third floor of Magsaysay Building of SVNHS in Barangay Central Signal, Taguig. 

Irish Sheen Manalo (left) and Mary Nicole Picar (Photos from Facebook and Rhea Manalo's Facebook post) 

Rhea Manalo, a cousin of Irish, earlier posted on Facebook and asked classmates, teachers and friends to “come forward and tell the truth,” believing that “she will not dare kill herself. We are still waiting for the autopsy result as of this post.” 

Various posts on social media, especially Facebook, speculated on whether the two students took their own lives or were killed. 

On TikTok, the alleged chats between Manalo and Picar before their death circulated. 

A report by the Taguig police stated that a witness, identified as Danielle, 16, a student, said Manalo and Picar were last seen at about 7:45 p.m on Nov. 10 after they told her they went home. 

However, it was learned through their Messenger group that the two did not go home. Danielle immediately searched for the victims and found their bodies hanging with a rope tied around their necks and attached to a steel grill in the Girls Scout office. The witness informed the security guards who reported the incident to the Taguig police. 

In a statement issued on Nov. 13, the SPD ruled out foul play in the death of Manalo and Picar. 

“The Southern Police District extends its deepest sympathy to the bereaved families of the two high school students of Signal Village National High School,” it said.  

The SPD added, “Our investigator's findings supported by post-mortem exam by SPD forensic team found no foul play in the incident as of this time.” 

Post-mortem exam refers to autopsy, which “is a specialized surgical procedure used to determine the cause and manner of death,” according to the Yale School of Medicine website. 

SPD said, “We urge the public to allow the families the space to grieve for their two young members. Speculations can only aggravate the sorrow for the bereaved families, we request everyone to refrain from engaging in discussions that may cause them additional distress.”

It assured “the community that SPD remains committed to ensuring justice and understanding in this unfortunate situation.”