16-year-old boy dies after jumping into Marikina River

A 16-year-old male student was found dead in the Marikina River near Philippine Rock in Barangay San Isidro in an incident reported as an alleged suicide by drowning, according to the Rodriguez Municipal Police Station.

The Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) reported the incident around 9:30 a.m. on Friday, 21 November, and duty investigators immediately responded to conduct an initial investigation.

According to the testimony of the victim’s mother, identified only as alias Norlita, she scolded her son after he argued with his sibling on Wednesday night, 19 November.

She last saw her son around 11 p.m. while he was using a cellphone. When she woke up at 2 a.m., she noticed that he was no longer in the house.

She found a letter on the table addressed to her, the classmates, and the teachers of the victim. In the letter, the victim said he had been thinking about suicide for a long time and even mentioned his belief in the afterlife and the power he sees in the Isekai anime.

Out of worry, the family and barangay personnel began to examine the barangay CCTV, where the victim was last seen walking on the Eastwood Bridge in the Philippine Rock area.

A concerned citizen reported seeing the victim jump into the Marikina River.

The family immediately sought help from the barangay and the MDRRMO, which conducted a retrieval operation. The victim’s body was found the following day.

The Rodriguez Municipal Police Station is now conducting an investigation to fully verify the events that led to the alleged suicide of the victim.