BY IME SORNITO & JEN BAYLON
ANTIQUE – A poignant real-life enactment of the vow “’Till death do us part” transpired in Hamtic town.
The decomposed bodies of Loreto Panaguiton, 68, and his wife Anastasia, 73, were discovered on Wednesday, Oct. 11, in Sitio Wayang, Barangay Poblacion 4 after neighbors detected an unsettling odor.
Major John Paul Guay, Hamtic’s police chief, reported that Anastasia had been suffering from a severe lung condition, confining her to bed for the last month. Devastated by her passing, Loreto seemingly took his own life using a 12-gauge shotgun.
Upon the police’s arrival, Anastasia was found covered with a blanket on a bamboo bed, while Loreto lay nearby on the floor with the firearm and a gunshot wound.
Residents recall hearing a loud sound on Oct. 8 but dismissed it due to the remoteness of the couple’s house. The two had lived alone together for nearly two decades. The Hamtic Municipal Police have ruled out foul play in the tragic incident.
Mental Health Crisis Hotlines
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health concerns, reach out to any of the hotline numbers:
* Department of Health Region 6 Mental Health Program – 0998-532-4047 and 0917-775-9256
* Western Visayas Medical Center hotline – 0931-025-1276, or Facebook Page: MH Connect/Facebook (services offered: psychosocial support, physiological first aid, counseling, referrals, and health education)
* Iloilo Provincial Health and Social Welfare and Development offices – 0998-539-6704, 0946-539-7929, 0915-542-6885, and 0977-122-0327 (services offered: psychosocial support, psychological first aid, and referrals)
* Aklan Provincial Health Office – 0970-599-9734 (services offered: psychosocial support, physiological first aid, and referrals)
* Antique Provincial Health Office – 0928-341-8475 (services offered: psychosocial support, physiological first aid, and referrals)
* Capiz Provincial Health Office – 0921-991-2064 and 0916-241-1596 (services offered: psychosocial support, physiological first aid, and referrals)
* Iloilo City Health Office (033) 315-3012 and Facebook Page
* Negros Occidental Health Office – 0965-982-1851 and 0961-572-9197 (services offered: psychosocial support, physiological first aid, and referrals)/PN
