By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

An inmate of the Pulupandan Municipal Police Station was found dead after he allegedly hanged himself inside his jail cell on Tuesday afternoon.

Police has requested not to identify the victim but confirmed he was a 19-year-old male and a resident of Barangay Lip-ac in Iloilo’s San Enrique town.

Pulupandan police chief, Police Major Anthony Grande, said the victim had been detained in their jail facility since September 4 for a homicide charge.

Grande said prior to the incident, the victim was visited by his sibling who brought him food. The victim was reported to have only eaten half of his meal and was next seen by the cops taking off his clothes and entering the comfort room.

After spending 15 to 20 minutes inside the comfort room, one of the police officers called out the victim but received no reply.

When the cop checked the comfort room, he discovered the victim lifeless and hanging inside. One of the police personnel attempted to revive the victim using cardiopulmonary resuscitation before being rushed to the Bago City District Hospital, where he was eventually declared dead-on-arrival.

Based on initial investigation, the victim used his own clothes to hang himself inside the comfort room.

Grande believes the victim may have become discouraged as he had been pleading with his family to free him on a P40,000 bail bond.

The police chief added because the victim had not received any reply from his family and he may have believed that he had been abandoned./DGB, WDJ