Family of fallen BSM student mulls charges vs teacher

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – The family of a student who reportedly jumped to his death from a carpark building in Makati City is mulling legal action against his British teacher, reports said.

Trixie Madamba, mother of 18-year-old Liam Madamba, a graduating high school student of the British School Manila, raised the possibility in an interview on  ABS-CBN aired on Saturday, February 7.

“I have been talking to my lawyer and my family and once I see that my family is 100% [supportive], we will move forward,” Madamba said.

ABS-CBN also reported that the Madambas are planning to seek a hold departure order against the teacher who had reprimanded Liam over a plagiarism case, which reportedly triggered the student to take his own life.

Madamba said she wished her family was immediately informed about the incident involving her son, who was made to admit by his British teacher that he had plagiarized a paragraph from a site and put it in his essay.

“Dapat sabihin kaagad ng school ang nangyari para masuportahan sa bahay o dapat nadoon kami sa meeting na ‘yon (We should have been told immediately what happened so we could support him at home or we should have been in the meeting [with the teacher]),” Madamba said.

Madamba said her son was apparently traumatized by the incident, though he did not show any signs at home that he was so mentally tormented to the point of ending his life.

Reports quoting Makati police said that Liam jumped from the 6th floor of the Dela Rosa carpark building in Legazpi Village in Makati City at about 6:30 am on Friday, February 6.

He was brought to the nearby Makati Medical Center but died several hours later.

BSM official statement

The school issued a statement 3 days after the incident.

“We grieve the tragic loss of Liam Madamba, and remember him as a promising young man who was a great student, friend and classmate,” the school said in its official statement on Monday, February 9.

“We share in the grief of the Madamba family and respect their privacy and we aim to support them and our whole community through this challenging and difficult time,” the statement added.

BSM currently provides counselling and support services for its students, especially among those who may need help in dealing with the incident. The school will also hold a student-led memorial service for Liam, and a forum for families. – Rappler.com