JOSE Manalo FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—A teenage daughter of television host/comedian Jose Manalo had attempted to commit suicide twice, a radio report said Thursday.
The report was quoting lawyer Dennis Pangan, representing Manalo’s wife Annalyn, who had lodged a complaint against Manalo for allegedly failing to keep his promise in financing their daughter’s schooling.
The complaint filed before the Quezon City prosecutor’s office cited violation of the Republic Act 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act of 2004.
The lawyer said Manalo’s daughter had written a suicide note that said she was depressed because Manalo abandoned their family and failed to support her financially.
The lawyer said Manalo’s daughter tried to commit suicide twice although he did not say when these attempts happened.
The daughter is now in good condition, the lawyer said.
Although Manalo’s daughter attributed her attempted suicide to her father, the World Health Organization (WHO) said “suicide is never the result of a single factor or event.”
“It is usually caused by a complex interaction of many factors such as mental and physical illness, substance abuse, family disturbances, interpersonal conflicts and life stressors,” a WHO primer read.
The WHO also said suicide should not be glorified as an act. It added that suicide can be prevented through proper intervention.
According to a Philippine Daily Inquirer report, Manalo stopped giving financial support to the family despite appeals from Annalyn, who said he abandoned them for another woman in January 2012.
The daughter was also forced to drop out of school due to financial problems, the report said.
In October 2013, the girl enrolled at Raffles Design Institute after her father promised to shoulder her tuition, according to the complaint. Manalo then took note of her payment schedule but refused to give his contact numbers to Annalyn and the child, the complaint said.
But after settling the initial dues, he failed to pay the next installment on December 1, the complaint said.
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