Man stabs self to death while high on drugs in Cebu City – police

The body of a man was found with multiple stab wounds inside a room of an unfinished townhouse in Brgy. Mambaling, Cebu City on Thursday morning, May 16. | Paul Lauro

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Police in Cebu City said that the man who was found lifeless along the Maria Gochan Street in Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City on Thursday afternoon, May 16, took his own life while high on drugs.

The body was found with multiple stab wounds and lying on a pool of blood inside a room of an unfinished townhouse in said barangay.

The deceased was identified by his mother as Hearty Alcantara, 31, a native of San Manuel, Lala, Lanao del Norte, northern Mindanao.

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Police Major John Lynbert Yango, chief of Mambaling Police Station, told CDN Digital on Friday, May 17, that the incident was ruled as a suicide.

He stated that the investigation showed no signs that a struggle took place nor was there foul play. Moreover, police recovered a bloody broken bottle that the victim may have used to kill himself.

According to Yango, the man who stabs self has tried to take his own life twice before his death.

In the previous week, Alcantara was captured in a video within the area of Station 3 repeatedly stabbing his head using scissors.

At around 6:00 a.m. on Thursday, the victim allegedly used drugs with his friend’s brother, who let him stay inside the room while construction was ongoing.

After their session, the two parted ways and Alcantara went back to his room.

When his companion went to check on him at around 10:30 a.m., he allegedly saw that the bed was covered in blood and Alcantara had multiple stab wounds.

The companion claimed that Alcantara was still alive but unresponsive at this time. He then rushed to the Mambaling Police Station and reported the incident.

Immediately after, responding officers went to the scene and found the victim lying on the floor.

According to Yango, the victim had sustained slashed and stabbed wounds on his throat, left chest, and abdomen. There was also a slit on his left wrist.

He added that the victim used glass from a broken alcohol bottle to inflict his own wounds while he was alone in the room at around 9:00 a.m.

When police arrived, Alcantara had no pulse. During the investigation, police recovered the bottle covered in blood at the crime scene.

Yango further narrated that the victim’s family has admitted that Alcantara was a drug-user and often claimed that someone wanted to kill him.

The victim’s mother, Teresita, said that her son escaped from the rehabilitation center twice back in 2022.

However, he allegedly wanted to get a cooking job and moved to Cebu City on Sunday, May 12.

In a phone interview with reporters, Teresita said that she received a phone call from police informing her about her son’s death on Thursday.

She was able to positively identify the body through a picture.

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She further relayed that police said that her son took his own life and asked her if he was facing problems. Teresita, however, said that she could not believe that her son committed suicide.

“Wala gyud na siyay problem nga gistorya. Kay paggikan ana, maayo jud among relasyon. Maayo gyud among pagsabot ana,” she stated.

As of this writing, Alcantara’s cadaver has been brought to a funeral home in Cebu City. His sibling is set to arrive on Friday afternoon to take the cadaver back to Lanao del Norte where he will be laid to rest.

Teresita, who believes that the incident was not a suicide, expressed her wish for authorities to conduct a deeper investigation on her son’s untimely demise.

“Ang amo lang panghinaot sa pulis nga hinaot unta, sa among kalayo diri, nga mahatagan untag hustisya ang akong anak diha,” she stated.