By CYRUS M. GARDE
BACOLOD City — Before hanging herself inside Bacolod Pension here Friday last week, 34-year-old Leah Segovia–Cañete killed her child first, police confirmed.
It was found out in an autopsy that 3-year-old Hannah Kate of Barangay Lopez Jaena, Murcia town, died of suffocation.
Her mother suffocated her first and then slashed her wrists, said SPO3 Arlene Torendon, acting head of Bacolod City Police Office’s Women and Children Protection Desk.
After which, Cañete hanged herself in the bathroom using a nylon rope.
Dr. Eli Cong of the City Health Office conducted the autopsy, Torendon said.
“It was a sorry case because she (Cañete) dragged her innocent daughter,” she said.
Cañete was discovered in the bathroom, while her daughter was found lying on the bed, arms spread, in Room 20.
Torendon said the police discovered text messages in Cañete’s mobile phone suggesting that she may commit suicide.
According to her mother, Ma. Luz Segovia, Cañete was suffering from nervous breakdown and urinary tract infection.
Her health problem may have prompted Cañete to end her life, Torendon said.
Cañete’s husband, Joebert, who works as a security guard in Cavite, went back home on Saturday. He refused to see the bodies of her wife and daughter.
Cañete and her daughter checked in Bacolod Pension at about 6:40 p.m. Thursday and were supposed to check out 12 noon Friday.
The room boy, identified only as “Froilan,” knocked on Room 20’s door to ask if they wanted to extend their stay, but no one answered.
The management opened the door using a duplicate key and found the victims./PN
