IPPO sounds alarm over rising suicide cases

By Jennifer P. Rendon

TRIGGER WARNING: SUICIDE

As of Aug. 21, 2022, the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) has recorded 69 deaths due to apparent suicide.

“We consider this as alarming because even before the month end, it surpassed the previous year’s records of incidents from January to August,” Senior Master Sergeant Francisco Lindero, IPPO spokesperson, said.

When suicide incidents rose in 2020 and 2021, the IPPO surmised that it could be partly due to the pandemic.

“But the trend suggested otherwise,” Lindero said.

In 2019, there were 59 suicide cases from January to August; 62 in 2020; and 66 in 2021.

Just like in previous years, males are the predominant victims with 59 or 85.5 percent and 10 females or 14.5 percent.

Of this year’s 69 incidents, 64 are due to hanging; three by shooting; one by slashing, and one due to poisoning.

Lindero said that the latest incident involved a 21-year-old college student from Cabatuan, Iloilo.

The local police said that they are investigating what could have triggered the victim to take his own life.

Five days prior to that, a 22-year-old man, also from Cabatuan town, also allegedly took his own life.

The man was admonished by his aunt following a rift with his female cousin.

On August 19, a 67-year-old man allegedly shot himself.

The man allegedly got depressed as he was suffering from kidney problems and prostate cancer.

Lindero said that IPPO, on its own, couldn’t do much to prevent these incidents. He said, though, that they are advocating for the promotion of Provincial Task Force PAG-ASA (Provincial AGencies in Action to prevent Suicide among people of all Ages)

“We hope that those who are into depression could reach to Task Force Pag-asa and be guided,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health has constantly reminded those who have problems or those who knew individuals who are at risk of committing suicide that they could seek help in mental health crisis intervention:

The suicide prevention hotline of the Center for Health Development – Western Visayas:

1-800-10-333-8336

09985324047

09255469919

WVSUMC – 3202431 loc. 162 or 209

3292360

WVMC – 3211797 loc. 186

5037708

PMHU – 5298109