[Trigger warning: Mentions self-harm]
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Police in Samboan has launched an investigation on the death of a mother and her son, allegedly due to poisoning. The story went viral on social media.
A mother and her five-year-old son were found dead inside their house in Brgy. Camburoy, Samboan town on Sunday, June 9.
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Initial reports, including a heartbreaking message from the victim’s husband, pointed that the two died after ingesting poison in what looked like an apparent suicide.
But in an interview with Cebu-based radio station dyHP, Police Captain Analiza Sarte, chief of Samboan Police Station, said they will be looking into the case to check signs of foul play.
CDN Digital has opted not to disclose the names of the victims to keep the family’s privacy.
As of Tuesday, June 11, police found no evidence pointing to possible homicide.
It is believed that the victims died on Saturday, June 8. But their bodies were only discovered on Sunday morning, June 9 when one of their relatives, who is also a neighbor, went to their house to ask for a contribution for their chapel.
However, he received no response and when he went inside, he found the mother and child lying motionless.
The relative then sought help from neighbors and authorities.
Investigators later recovered a letter from the victims’ house, written by the mother with its handwriting positively identified by her family. They also found a glass, believed to have been used to administer the poison to the child and mother.
Sarte also mentioned that in their initial investigation, the mother had called her siblings before the incident occurred, claiming that they were about to ascend to heaven with her child.
Police also learned from a portion of the letter left by the mother discussing the sale of their livestock.
The police continue to investigate the possible reasons behind the tragedy.
Samboan is a fifth-class municipality located approximately 146 kilometers south of Cebu City.