The Department of Education (DepEd) said it will coordinate with the Philippine National Police (PNP) to investigate the death of two high school students in Taguig City on Friday.
DepEd spokesperson Undersecretary Michael Poa said that the concerned Schools Division Office is already coordinating with the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) team regarding the matter.
The agency also expressed sympathies to the bereaved families and offered assistance.
The Taguig City government also said it will give “full support” to the victims’ families, with Mayor Lani Cayetano also ordering an investigation.
The two female students were found dead in an office at Signal Village National High School in Taguig City on Friday.
The grade 8 and grade 10 students were found hanging with a rope tied around their necks and attached to a steel grill inside the Girl Scout Mini Office on the 3rd floor of the school around 11 p.m.
Initial investigation showed that the two teenagers were last seen alive around 7:45 p.m. telling their classmates they were going home. Their friends discovered through a Facebook messenger group chat that they did not return home.
Friends and relatives then searched the whereabouts of the two girls. A friend, identified as Danielle, saw the two teenagers already dead in an apparent suicide. Danielle informed the school duty guards who later reported the incident at Taguig City Police Station for proper disposition.
On Saturday, Rhea Manalo, cousin of one of the two students, posted a message to her Facebook account, urging her classmates, teachers, and friends to come forward and tell the truth on the matter.
Manalo also called for an investigation into the “uncooperative behavior of school management and the lack of closed circuit television camera.” She also asked authorities for an autopsy result to be released.
The Taguig Police Station in a statement said initial evidence did not indicate foul play.
It also urged the public to refrain from making speculations that could worsen the situation experienced by the grieving families and said that the investigation will continue and will be conducted thoroughly and expeditiously.
The local government also encouraged students to participate in its program which aims to address anxiety, depression, hopelessness, and suicidal tendencies through monthly workshops and weekly group discussions with volunteers from faith-based organizations.
It also said those needing help may call the Taguig Mental Health Teleconsultation Hotline at 0929-521-8373 or contact the city’s social workers at 0932-272-4888.
Free crisis hotlines are also available nationwide:
National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) Crisis Hotline at 1553 (Luzon-wide landline toll-free), 0917-899-8727, (02) 7-989-8727 Philippine Red Cross Hotline at 1158 In-Touch Crisis Line at 8-893-7603, 0917-8001123 or 0922-8938944