ILOILO CITY , Philippines — A 19-year-old pedicab driver climbed a cellsite tower at Brgy. Cubay in Jaro district of this city in what was believed to be a suicide attempt.
Raffy Coronado, also a resident of the area, stayed in the middle of the tower’s structure from 11 p.m. of Wednesday until 1 a.m. of Thursday.
Coronado reportedly went first on binge drinking with a fellow pedicab driver. He allegedly got indignant after his mother did not give him money to pay for a loan he made earlier.
When he had consumed one too many, he scaled the perimeter fence of the cellsite tower. He then climbed the tower and, there, he also lamented about not having a girlfriend to have a date with on Valentine’s Day.
Policemen tried to negotiate and prodded him to go down. Chief Insp. Gilbert Gorero, Jaro Police chief, said they almost asked for a fire truck to help in the rescue operation.
But even before police authorities could resort to that, Coronado’s mother pleaded for him to go down. A promise for him to have his own pedicab also convinced him to end his suicide attempt.
Cold and fear made Coronado tremble when he reached the ground. He was then arrested by the police for alarm and scandal and is now detained at the lock-up cell of Jaro Police Station. (FREEMAN)