Grade 5 student death not linked to slapping – PNP

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 12) — The 14-year-old Antipolo student slapped by his teacher died of a rare congenital condition and not because of physical harm, the Philippine National Police (PNP) autopsy report said.

The report showed Francis Gumikib suffered from arteriovenous malformation, or the unusual twisting of arteries and veins.

It added that one of the entangled veins ruptured, causing his brain to swell and bleed that led to his death.

«At first asymptomatic, walang symptoms tapos bigla na lang kasi fragile po yung mga ugat na yun na it can rupture or burst,» said Lt. Col. Maria Anna Lisa Dela Cruz, chief medicolegal officer of the PNP Forensic Group in Rizal.

[Translation: One could be asymptomatic at first, with no symptoms showing. But veins can rupture or burst knowing how fragile they are.]

Gumikib, a Grade 5 student of Peñafrancia Elementary School, died on Oct. 2 reportedly after a bout of intolerable headache and ear pain. This was over a week after he was slapped by his teacher on Sept. 21.

A classmate said Gumikib was just reporting to their teacher about their noisy classmates. The teacher, however, suddenly pulled his hair and uniform before slapping him, the classmate told authorities.

The Gumikib family said they cannot accept the result of the autopsy, insisting that the teacher killed their son.

“Yung sampal lang talaga po dahil ang anak namin simula’t sapol hindi pa na-ospital iyon," Eusebio Gumikib, father of Francis, told CNN Philippines.

[Translation: It was really the slap, because our son has never been confined to a hospital.]

The teenager will be buried next week.

PLtCol Ryan Mangondo, Antipolo City police chief, said the teacher may still face charges for violation of the anti-child abuse law.

Meanwhile, the Teachers Dignity Coalition urged authorities to still honor the teacher's right to due process.

“We would not tolerate any form of abuse by teachers against students, but we challenge the Department of Education as well to safeguard the rights of teachers to due process and equal protection of the law," the group said in a statement.

With reports from CNN Philippines senior correspondent AC