Market collector shoots self dead

CEBU, Philippines – Allegedly pressured over the present controversies hounding the city slaughterhouse, a market revenue collector assigned to the Mandaue City treasurer’s office committed suicide past 7 a.m. yesterday inside his house in sitio Mabini, barangay Looc, Mandaue City.

Ricky Radjaie, 36, a market revenue collector tasked to collect fees of the livestock at the city slaughterhouse allegedly shot himself once in the right temple using a .45 cal. pistol.

According to Homicide chief Jorge Aniñon, they were able to recover from the crime scene the gun and three suicide notes; one each for his superior, mother and girlfriend.

Aniñon said that the suicide note addressed to the fatality’ superior thanked her for making him a regular employee at City Hall.

“Igo ra to siyang nagpasalamat sa iyang superior nga gihimo siyang regular employee but he also explained ‘wa ko manguha sa kwarta sa gobyerno, tanan collection naay resibo, naa sud sa plastic bag ang logbook of payments’,” Aniñon said as he read part of the note to reporters.

The suicide note left to his mother also explained that he did not touch the money collected from the slaughterhouse.

 “‘Naikog lang kaayo ko nga mauwaw mo ug apil sa isyu sa ihawan, kabahin diha sa ihawan wa koy bisan piso na lang nga gigamit, tanang koleksyon akong gi-resibohan’,” Aniñon said as he read part of the note.

The last note addressed to the fatality’s girlfriend asked for forgiveness as he could no longer fulfill his promise to her.

Aniñon said that they later came to know that the fatality had promised his girlfriend that he would marry her eventually.

In a text message, Vice Mayor Carlo Fortuna said the fatality was supposed to explain the non-collection of fees during last session, but he instead went to his office to meet him and councilor Emiliano Rosal last Monday.

Fortuna said that this was also the reason why Rosal was able to finalize their report with regards to the investigation into the operation of the slaughterhouse.

Fortuna added that they will still have to find out also what drove the fatality to take his life. — Flor Z.Perolina/BRP (THE FREEMAN)