The family of a Grade 12 student who died after falling from the seventh floor of the Tenement housing building in Taguig on Sept. 18 is seeking justice.
“Pero bakit nman..bakit ka nkarating don dba Sabi muh uuwi kpa ma late ka lng Ng uwi k. Mg milk tea ka lng pero bakit, binigla muh nman kmi lahat nak, kaya Yung inisip nila Na tumalon ka..d aq naniniwla alam ko at sa lahat Ng nakakakilala sau na d muh magawa (But why..why did you come there right? You said you would come home late. That you would just get milk tea but why, you shocked us all son. That is why, what people thought that you jumped..I don’t believe it. I knew and everyone who knew you knew that you could not do it),” the mom, Marivic, publicly posted on Facebook on Sept. 20 along with photos of her son and his wake.
The wake for the student (Photo from Marivic's Facebook post)
Melmar (Photo from Marivic's Facebook post)
The Tenement housing building in Taguig (Photo from Barangay Western Bicutan's Facebook page)
The male victim, Melmar, 16, was found dead at about 7:30 p.m. at the parking lot of the Tenement building in Barangay Western Bicutan.
He was a Grade 12 student at Western Bicutan National High School (WBNHS) in Barangay Pinagsama in Taguig.
A witness told the police that while she was doing chores, she heard a sound of something falling and saw him lying on the ground.
She immediately sought assistance from the barangay and the Taguig Police. A forensic team from the Southern Police District (SPD) arrived and conducted its investigation. An autopsy was to be conducted to know the cause of his death.
Marivic believes that someone caused his son’s death.
“Kung sino man ang sumalbahe sau hwag sana Sila makatulong [makatulog] sa nangyari sau Kuya sobrang sakit d ko matanggap na ganun ganun nlng. d kmi titigil Hanggat d nmin alam kung ano tlga ang totoonh nangyari sau Kuya (To those who did this to you, I hope they won’t be able to sleep because of what happened to you. It’s too painful, I cannot accept that it’s just like that. We will not stop until we know what really happened to you),” the mom said.
The Manila Bulletin sent messages on Sept. 20 to the two investigators from the Taguig Police assigned to the case but did not receive any reply as of this writing.
Marivic remembered her son, who she fondly called “kuya,” saying he was excited to celebrate his birthday.
“Kuya ngaun blangko isip ko kung ano tlga nangyari sau... sobrang sakit nak sa ganitong sitwasyon ka mawala dami muh pangarap pano na kmi...ang hirap tanggapin. wla na kuyang mghihingi Ng Pera...wla na tatawag sa akin na mama pahirap cp mglalaro aq Ng ml (Now my mind is blank about what really happened to you..it’s too painful that you are in this situation that you are gone. You have so many dreams. What will happen to us…it’s hard to accept. No one will ask for money…no one will call me to say ‘mama can I borrow your cp [cell phone], I will play ml [Mobile Legends],” she added.
She said, “Ma tingnan muh Yung bike ko maganda na..ma gusto muh Ng milk tea libre kita. ma pahingi Pera bibili lng aq tinapay..wla na aq mautusan sa tuwing my kylangan aq, Sobrang nadudurong aq ngaun nak. Sa tuwing miisip kita at Nakita jan sa kinalagyan muh...ang laking bakit (Ma look at my bike, it looked good already..ma do you want milk tea, I’ll buy it for you. Ma I need money, I’ll just buy bread..I no longer have anyone to buy for me whenever I need something. I feel so broken now, son. Every time I think of you and I see you where you are now..it’s a big why).”
“Yung kapatid muh ma miss nya pg asar muh lagi. Wla na kming kuyang hihintayin makauwi tuwing haponan para sabay sabay Kumain..Kuya nman naglambing kpa eh Ng kwento kpa na sabay kau Ng tropa muh kukuha Ng entrance exam..kung ano gusto mung course.. excited kpa sa birthday muh kc mabilhan na Ng part Yung bike muh (Your sister will miss your teasing. We will no longer have someone to wait for every supper so that we can eat together. You even told me that you and your friends will take the entrance exam together..what course you liked..you were even excited for your birthday because it meant a new part of your bike will be bought),” she said. Melmar was to turn 17 in October.
Meanwhile, Tahanan Inc., the homeowners association of Tenement, hoped that the results of the investigation by the police will be released soon to know what really happened to the student.
“Nawa'y lumabas narin po ang resulta ng imbestigasyon ng SOCO, ng sa gayun ay magkaroon narin po kayo ng katahimikan at maliwanagan din po ang lahat ukol sa mga magkaka ibang haka-haka, version at pananaw ng mga taong lalong nagpapa bigat sa inyong nararamdaman (Hopefully the results of the investigation by SOCO [Scene of the Crime Operation] will be released so that you will have peace and everyone will be enlightened about the different speculations, version and opinions of people who make your feelings heavier),” said Jennifer Kleng Corpin, homeowners association president, in a Facebook post addressed to Melmar's family.