Ma wants probe on son’s death inside school

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — A mother is now seeking an investigation on the death of her 19-year-old son while in school on Tuesday (Nov. 27).

The fatality, Ranie Hino-o, a freshman Marine Engineering student of the John B. Lacson Colleges Foundation-Bacolod (JBLCF-B) in Brgy. Alijis here, was seen walking towards a comfort room near the P. E. Area at about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday when he suddenly lost consciousness and fell down, a press statement from JBLCF-B issued to the media Thursday (Nov. 29) stated.

Ranie, a resident of Brgy. Inolingan in Moises Padilla town in Negros Occidental, was rushed to the Bacolod Adventist Medical Center in Brgy. Taculing but was declared dead on arrival, the school’s statement further read.

Autopsy report showed that the cause of his death was heart attack, the school said, but his mother, Lolita, in media interviews Wednesday, alleged that JBLCF-B instructors tried to keep from her the real cause of her son’s death.

The mother told reporters that she was fetched from her house by about four instructors from JBLCF-B at around 2 p.m. Tuesday and informed her that Ranie was sick and in the hospital. However, Lolita claimed that upon reaching the Bacolod Adventists Medical Center, she found out that her son was already dead.

She said that she learned that her son was reportedly swimming at around 9 a.m. at the school’s swimming pool and told a classmate that he would go to the comfort room. However, her son did not reach the CR as he reportedly fell on the floor.

Lolita said she is just confused why the school instructors did not immediately tell her that her son was dead and why she was told initially that he was brought to the hospital because he was sick.

She added that she was not also given a copy of the autopsy report and was allegedly told by the school authorities to return to Moises Padilla as she will not be allowed to see her son’s body which was brought to the Alisbo funeral parlor in Bacolod.

Lolita also said that she was informed by the school authorities that her son’s remains will be brought first to the school for a night’s vigil then will be brought to Moises Padilla town today (Friday). She said she is questioning why she cannot bring her son’s body home.

In its press statement, the JBLCF administration said that Ranie, who was a working student assigned to the school’s Plant Facilities Office, “did not die of drowning or hazing at the school campus, contrary to some media reports.”

The body of Ranie was brought to JBLCF Thursday where a necrological Mass was offered by the academic community. The school had shouldered his hospital expenses and will further facilitate expenses for his burial, the press statement added. (FREEMAN)