Police rule out foul play in man’s death in Barangay Tejero

Photo from the Waterfront Police Station shows the body of Emilio Mapalo.

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Police ruled out foul play in the death of a man who jumped off from the 19th floor of a building in Barangay Tejero, Cebu City last week.

Police Major Edgar Labe, the chief of the Waterfront Police Station, said that they are ruling out the possibility of foul play behind the death of  20-year-old plumber Emilio Mapalo Jr. after they received information from a witness that the victim was not forced to jump from the building last Tuesday, May 18, 2021.

READ: Man plunges to death from 19th floor, police say there’s no foul play

On Wednesday, May 19, Labe said that they were not discounting the possibility that someone might have forced Mapalo to jump off from the building.

But Labe said information from a witness quashed that hunch, saying the case can now be considered as closed.

He said the witness actually told police about Mapalo’s recent off moods. He said that his workers noticed that he was problematic  a few days before the incident.

He added that Mapalo once mentioned to his co-workers that her girlfriend got pregnant with another man, and this bothered him.

With this, Labe said that they are now closing the case and concluded that the incident had no foul play involved at all. He added that they did not receive any information from other informant that may contradict their findings.

** Those facing huge personal problems or experiencing extreme sadness can reach out to and call Tawag Paglaum Centro Bisaya if they need someone to talk to. Tawag Paglaum Centro Bisaya is a 24/7 call-based hotline for suicide prevention and emotional crisis intervention established in Cebu. Anyone in Central Visayas experiencing a mental disorder relapse or suicidal thoughts may reach the hotline at 0939-936-5433 or 0927-654-1629.

/bmjo