Two students were found dead on Friday night. The victims, identified as Mary Nicole Picar, 15, a Grade 10 student, and Irish Sheen Manalo, 13, a Grade 8 student, were discovered hanging in the Girl Scout office located at Signal Village National High School in Taguig City. They were found in the school’s Magsaysay Building.
The bodies were found at around 10 p.m., tied by a rope around their necks to a steel grill. A 16-year-old student, who last saw the victims at approximately 7:45 p.m., initiated the search after learning through a group chat that they had not returned home. The discovery was promptly reported to the school’s security personnel.
Rhea Manalo, a relative of Irish Sheen, has publicly sought assistance in understanding the circumstances surrounding the deaths. She expressed doubts about the possibility of suicide, particularly highlighting Irish Sheen’s achievements as an honor student and Girl Scout. Rhea criticized the school for its alleged lack of cooperation and claimed that no CCTV cameras were operational at the time of the incident.
Furthermore, Rhea raised concerns about the handling of the crime scene, alleging that the police removed the bodies without a proper examination by the Scene of the Crime Operations (SOCO) team.
As the community reels from this tragedy, the Department of Education (DepEd) has stated that its Schools Division Office is actively working with SOCO in the investigation. Michael Poa, a DepEd spokesperson, assured that they will share official findings from the investigation once available. The school has also pledged to provide necessary support to the families of the deceased.
