Mayor moves to address suicide sprees

By: Jomarie A. Billones

ROXAS CITY, Capiz – Mayor Ronnie Dadivas of this city has organized a team that will find ways to prevent future cases of suicides here.

In his statement posted on Facebook, Dadivas acknowledged the alarming increase in the number of suicide cases.

He said that in this city alone, six confirmed suicide incidents were reported while three more are under investigation.

The mayor said there is a need to immediately organize a team/committee that would come up with a strategy or action plan against suicide.

“As of July 3, I have already designated a medical authority to help create a framework that would address this crisis,” he said.

The stakeholders involved are the City Health Office, Provincial Health Office, Department of Health, Capiz Medical Society, Department of Education (DepEd)-Roxas Division, Capiz State University (CapSU) Main campus, CapSU-Dayao campus, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), among others.

Last Sunday, the Catholic Church here raised alarm over the series of suicide cases in the province.

The latest case is of a gay woman who committed suicide by hanging herself evening of July 9, 2019 inside their house at Mckinley Ilaya Street, Barangay 1 here.