2 women kill selves in suicide pact

Two young women in Tondo, Manila shot themselves in the head late Tuesday that police investigators believe was a suicide pact.

The bodies of bank employee Kaycie Caringal, 20, and nursing student Gretchen Sangalang, 20, were found in the bedroom at the latter’s house in Tondo by family members.

Caringal was lying on her back while Sangalang was seated on the sofa and leaning on one side. Police investigators found a caliber .32 revolver and two suicide notes addressed to the victims’ families.

Senior Police Officer 2 Virgo Villareal, who is in charge of the night shift investigators of the Manila Police District’s homicide section, said Caringal and Sangalang – who were reportedly childhood friends – arrived at the latter’s house at about 3 p.m. last Tuesday and locked themselves in the room.

Later in the evening, Caringal’s guardian, Dr. Celia Segismundo, and her boyfriend, Luis Gabriel Miraflor, arrived at the house looking for her.

Sangalang’s mother, Susan, told them that the two were still upstairs. The three then proceeded upstairs and knocked on the door repeatedly. Miraflor broke the door open when no one answered.

According to Villareal, both the victims’ letters revealed that the two women had a suicide pact. "Both notes stated the ardent desire of the women to be together. They refused to be separated after it was known that Caringal was already pregnant and her boyfriend Luis Gabriel is taking her abroad," he said.

The two have asked their families for forgiveness and their bodies to be cremated. Villareal said police will still conduct a routine investigation to make sure that there was no foul play.