Increasing suicide cases in Aklan alarm police

AKLAN, Philippines – The Aklan Provincial Police Office (APPO) has expressed alarm over the rising number of suicide cases in the province.

“Already this year, we have recorded 21 cases. This is worrisome for us since last year, from January to May, we only registered 14 cases,” Lieutenant Colonel Bernard Ufano, the deputy provincial director for operations of the Aklan police, told the Kapehan sa Aklan Forum on Saturday, June 3.

Many of the suicides were young people.

Mary Loannie Tenazas, a guidance counselor at Aklan State University, said parents and guardians should understand the character and personality of the current digital generation.

“Many parents are currently disconnected from the way young people behave and think, which often leads to a sense of silence among the youth,” she said. “During my interviews with survivors, it became evident that they frequently yearned for someone who would listen and provide a space for them to express themselves.”