CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — An 18-year-old mother died Wednesday morning after giving birth alone inside a communal restroom of a boarding house in Barangay Lower Bulua. Police identified the woman as alias “Jezza.” Officers from Bulua Police Station 7 responded to the scene at Zone 6 around 6:40 a.m. after the victim’s body was found slumped inside the facility.

An initial investigation revealed the victim was alone in her rented room when she went into labor. Investigators found a knife inside the room, which they believe she used to cut the infant’s umbilical cord before moving to the restroom.

A rescue team rushed the mother and her newborn to the J.R. Borja General Hospital. Doctors declared the mother dead on arrival, but the infant survived and remains under medical care. Police are conducting a follow-up investigation to determine the exact cause of death and are coordinating with the victim’s family.