Farmer commits suicide

IVANA, Batanes , Philippines  – A farmer, who attended the midnight Mass, was found hanging yesterday morning in his home in Barangay Salagao, this municipality.

Barangay officials identified the victim as Jesus Barcelona, 41 years old, single. According to local authorities, the victim, although under the influence of alcohol, attended the midnight mass at 11:30 evening of Thursday to 12:30 yesterday morning. After attending the mass, other church goers saw the victim ride his motorcycle and proceeded toward the general direction of the town of Uyugan.

Farmers who went early yesterday morning to their farms, saw the victim’s motorcycle abandoned by the roadside in sitio San Felix, a kilometer away from town.

There were skid marks and blood stains in the vicinity, signs that a vehicular accident happened in the area. A pair of slippers was also found nearby.

No one can say, how the victim, who sustained injuries during his crash and heavily drunk, managed to go home.

His body, was found hanging after his relatives forced opened his house yesterday morning to wake him up.

Local authorities have ruled the incident as a suicide incident.         – Jack Castaño