Authorities suspect that the 4-year-old girl who died on January 13 in Barangay Pio Del Pilar, Makati City, may have already been dead before her father hanged her.
In a report by RH Jecelle Ricafort on Tuesday, a barangay official expressed suspicion based on the condition of the two bodies when authorities found them.
According to Barangay Councilor Dennis Pancipane, the child’s tongue was reportedly not protruding when her body was discovered, while the 22-year-old father was found with his tongue sticking out.
The barangay official added that the child’s father had reportedly been trying to reconcile with the child’s 25-year-old mother after their separation in November of the previous year.
Furthermore, the man was allegedly jealous of the individuals his former partner was texting and chatting with. However, despite his apologies, the mother refused to get back together with him.
A report from the Southern Police District revealed that the father’s parents went to the apartment after the grandmother tried to contact her son. The child was supposed to attend school that day, but neither father nor daughter responded to messages or calls.
The two were not living in the house where they were found. The father had been asked by his sibling to look after the house while they were out of town.
Upon reaching the apartment, the door remained locked, prompting the grandparents to seek assistance from the building owner to unlock it.
At the scene, they found the lifeless body of the man hanging by an electrical cord, while his daughter was found hanging by two shoelaces from a spiral staircase.
The grandparents immediately retrieved the girl’s body and called their eldest child to assist in lowering the father’s body.
Once both bodies were brought down, they were found cold to the touch. Autopsies are currently being conducted to determine the cause of death.
