By Jennifer P. Rendon
A teenager who got hooked to playing Mobile Legends died of apparent suicide late evening of April 17, 2021 at Zarraga, Iloilo.
Tan-Tan (real name withheld), 17, allegedly hanged himself from a mahogany tree some 10 meters away from their house at Barangay Sigangao.
Lieutenant Raffy Señeres, Zarraga police deputy chief, said the victim was rushed to Don Jose Monfort Medical Extension Hospital in Barotac Nuevo town but was declared dead on arrival.
Tan-Tan has left no note or any messages to justify the alleged suicide.
The family told police investigators that his mother called him out after he did not take his lunch.
The teenager apparently refused to eat as he was playing the popular mobile game ‘Mobile Legends.’
He was again reminded not to take his meal for granted in lieu of skipping his game.
Señeres is not discounting the possibility that the victim might have felt bad after getting admonished for binge playing.
He also slept past midnight after playing the online game.
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is a mobile multiplayer online battle arena developed and published by Moonton. Released in 2016, the game has become popular in Southeast Asia and was among the games chosen for the first medal event esports competition at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games in the Philippines.
When it was already dark, Tan-Tan’s mother asked his younger sister to look for him.
The victim’s friend, Ray, discovered his body after he was asked to look for Tan-Tan as he failed to go home Saturday night.
The sister then messaged Ray if he saw the victim.
Roy said he last saw Tan-Tan resting in a hammock latched on the mahogany tree around 8 pm.
He said he was not able to join the online game, as he failed to get a good internet connection.
The sister then asked Ray to look for the victim, as the area where he was last seen was not well-lit.
It didn’t take long for Ray to find Tan-Tan hanging on the tree.
The family believed there was no foul play behind Tan-Tan’s death.
The Department of Health has constantly reminded those who have problems or those who knew individuals who are at risk of committing suicides that they could seek help mental health crisis intervention:
The suicide prevention hotline of the Center for Health Development – Western Visayas:
1-800-10-333-8336
09985324047
09255469919
WVSUMC – 3202431 loc. 162 or 209
3292360
WVMC – 3211797 loc. 186
5037708
PMHU – 5298109
