Man, left by Korean GF, tries to jump off bridge

CEBU, Philippines - A lifeguard tried to leap off the first Mandaue-Mactan Bridge on the first day of the love month after his Korean girlfriend left him.

Joel Villahermosa, 32, married, however was rescued safely by the responding policemen after a two-hour negotiation but he was arrested and will be charged for alarm and scandal.

Villahermosa, lifeguard of Agus Hotel, told the police that he wanted to commit suicide because his Korean girlfriend left him after a confrontation with his wife. He decided to end his life by leaping off the bridge.

Villahermosa drove his motorcycle to the old Mandaue-Mactan Bridge at 8:30 a.m. yesterday and climbed unto the beams underneath the bridge.

Lapu-Lapu City Police Office director Anthony Obenza together with the members of the Special Weapons and Tactics negotiated with Villahermosa for two hours before the latter agreed to come down.

Lapu-Lapu City SWAT chief Jacinto Mandal brought down Villahermosa safely using a harness. The police immediately brought him to the district hospital because he was shivering.

At the hospital, Villahermosa admitted to the police that he hesitated to jump off because the bridge was too high. He also found it very hard to go back on top of the bridge.

The police seized a belt bag from Villahermosa with a suicide note addressed to his Korean girlfriend Bak Myeng Ju.

Villahermosa’s wife, Cherry Vi, said she already had an idea of her husband’s affair with the Korean. In fact, they have already agreed before the Women and Children’s Protection Desk office of the LLCPO that she will leave her husband with the Korean on condition that they will support her three children.

Cherry said they were supposed to sign the agreement before the police station today but she was surprised to hear over the radio about her husband’s attempt to commit suicide.

“Basta kagabi bumalik siya sa Agus hotel para kunin daw yung ibang gamit niya. Pagbalik niya sa bahay, galit siya at tinanong ako nasaan daw ang Koreana kasi wala na daw dun sa hotel,” Cherry said.

Cherry said her husband did not go home for three days after he went to Manila to fetch the Korean in January. She later caught them and a confrontation happened wherein the Korean admitted to her that she fell in love with her husband.

The Korean is here to study English language and Villahermosa was allegedly hired as her guide.

Two weeks ago a woman also leaped off the bridge but survived. On the same day a man also climbed the 40-foot tower of the nearby Marcelo Fernan Bridge waiting for a vessel to pass for him to hitch ride to Mindanao.

The man identified as Jecy Mollena, 20, went down three days later. He was also charged with alarm and scandal. –/FPL (THE FREEMAN)