College student hangs self after scolding

MANILA, Philippines - After being scolded when he failed to enroll in school, a 20-year-old college student hanged himself in their house in Quezon City Thursday night.

Le-an Michael Cruz, 20, of Project 6,was already dead when he was found at around 8:30 p.m. at the ground floor library room of their two-story house.

Senior Police Officer 1 Eric Lazo said the student had a nylon cord looped around his neck with the other end of the rope tied to a beam on the ceiling. He said the student might have been dead for several days since the body was already in a state of decomposition.

The body was discovered by his mother, Michelle, who works in real estate. She said she had just arrived from work when she smelled a stench that she initially thought was a dead rat.

The mother traced the smell to their library and, when she opened the door, she was shocked to find her son hanging there.

She said she scolded her son on Monday after learning that he did not enroll in school. Also last week, her eldest daughter had also reprimanded the student for not enrolling.

Michelle said her son did not like his computer science course and wanted something else. She told police that the last time she saw her son alive was on Monday and had not noticed him at their residence, where only the three of them were staying.