Trucking executive shoots self dead

CEBU, Philippines - A general manager of a trucking company reportedly committed suicide by shooting herself in the temple.

Arlyn C. Balagot, 50, single, was found dead at home in Maria Paloma Subdivision, Barangay Labangon last Tuesday afternoon. Balagot, general manager of Pride of the South trucking services, sustained a single gunshot wound in her right temple.

Police investigators found a 9-millimeter Glock pistol on her right hand believed to have been used by Balagot in shooting herself.

Police Officer 2 Jodan Batucan of the Homicide Section said it was Lony Cabungkal who discovered Balagot’s death.

Cabungkal, Balagot’s helper, said she discovered the body of her boss inside her room around 5:15 pm. Tuesday.

According to Cabungkal, she looked for Balagot when Maliri Saloria, owner of the trucking company, called up on the phone and wanted to talk to her boss.

Cabungkal said she went to Balagot’s room and knocked many times on her door. When nobody answered Cabungkal said she decided to use the master key of the house to open the door.

To her surprise, she saw Balagot bloodied, in a kneeling position and both hands were on top of her bed. She also saw a green rosary near her left hand and the gun on the right hand.

Police investigators recovered the gun, a deformed slug, an empty shell, 13 live ammunitions and a cellular phone from the crime scene.

Batucan said that Cabungkal heard what seemed to be a loud thud inside the house while she was doing her usual chores around 4:20 to 4:30 pm but just ignored the sound, thinking it was not something alarming.

The body was taken to St. Francis Funeral Homes for autopsy. She will also be subjected to a paraffin test to erase possible doubts from the victim’s relatives, though they have already discounted any possibility of a foul play.

Batucan said they are eyeing financial matters as a possible motive behind the incident.

Balagot, a native of Valencia, Bohol and has been working over 10 years in the trucking company, is just renting the room, Batucan said.  — THE FREEMAN