Prudence and Madness

In the previous post, I wrote about my views on the suicide of Mariannet Amper. Though many people were convinced that it was poverty that pushed Mariannet to kill herself, some were ready to point out that it may not be the sole reason or that there could be a stronger reason for it still.

In a news article last November 13, it was reported that Mayor Duterte ordered for the body of Mariannet Amper, buried last Saturday, to be exhumed so that an autopsy may be done and the real cause of her death determined.

What if there’s a deeper reason why Mariannet chose to kill herself than live?

After the autopsy was done, the medico-legal of the Scene of the Crime Operation (S.O.C.O) in Southern Mindanao said that Mariannet Amper might have been raped. There were tears found in the hymen area and in the laceration area, though most are healed.

I think it is a better fit as the immediate reason why Mariannet became so depressed that she killed herself. A child wouldn’t be as much troubled with poverty if he’s happy in his family, even with very little in life, as much as if he’s abused at home by his own people or by the people he trust so much. It could also be a reason why she would rather stay in school than home or in their neighborhood, where the abuse probably occurred. I am not saying that it was Mariannet’s father who did it, if she was sexually abused. It could be someone she knows or someone in their immediate vicinity.

I understand why the family has been hesitant to exhume the body. For all the hurt that they’ve gone through, it is just that they be given peace for a while, away from the prying eyes of other people and the media.

However, if it could shed a light in the rather hazy details of Mariannet’s death and bring the criminal to justice (if there’s someone who violated her), then, why not?

So there’s the new twist. This new bit of information seemed to have lessened the romanticism that has been built around the story of Mariannet. But never less pitiful.

I think we should continue to dig into this case. If Mariannet was indeed sexually abused, the criminal should be caught and justice served.

Last November 2, a young girl of 12 looped a thin rope around her pretty, fragile neck and hanged herself inside their makeshift home. It was said that she did this out of desperation that she and her family will be stay in the muddy pools of poverty forever. But this despairing child also had her dreams: a new bike, new shoes, jobs for her mother and father, and to be back in school. She wrote these in her diary. Was she able to write down her thoughts of ending her life as well?

A lot have already expressed their sympathies for this girl and her family. It was said that she and her sad story have put a face on poverty. Or maybe, more importantly, it has given us the intermittent jolt that we need to be reminded that we aren’t all comfortable and well-nourished. Some also said that this story of Mariannet should make us remember the lies that our government officials feed us. But then, even if our government lie to us, steal from us, cheat on us, it is also important that we, ourselves, should try to contribute to building our society and help our brothers in need.

While that most have blamed poverty and corruption in the government as the killers of Mariannet and the thousands of Mariannets all over the country, I think we may have been setting aside something that is equally important that we should address immediately: mental health in children and how the society views it.

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