Farmer out on bail kills self

CEBU, Philippines - Temporary freedom may not have been enough for a farmer who shot himself on the head at Sitio Cateuis, Barangay Guba, Cebu City on Tuesday afternoon.

Gerson Oporto, 35, of the said place shot himself using his own gun at around 1 p.m. on Tuesday.

Mary Jane, 29, the victim’s wife, said her husband looked very disturbed in the past weeks before he finally committed suicide.

She said she was doing the laundry in front of their house when she heard a gunshot from the back of their house.

She reportedly rushed inside the house to check on her husband and was surprised to see Gerson sprawled and bloodied on his back near their dirty kitchen. She immediately sought help from their neighbors but Gerson was already dead. 

Investigators said the victim reportedly tried to kill himself by first drinking a glass of insecticide and later decided to shoot himself on the right side of his head.

Mary Jane said Gerson has long been depressed over his pending case of illegal possession of prohibited drugs. Gerson posted a P35, 000 bail on March 2010 for his temporary liberty.

However, since 2010, financial problems reportedly affected the victim and his entire family.

“Wala gyud nay kalibutan ang asawa (Mary Jane) kun asa gikan ang brand new nga pusil nga gigamit sa iyang bana,” Cebu City Police Office homicide investigator PO2 Cristobal Geronimo told The FREEMAN.

Investigators recovered near the victim’s body a .22 Magnum Revolver, an empty shell believed to be from the .22 revolver, seven live ammunitions, a sachet of insecticide and a drinking glass believed to have been used by the victim to drink the insecticide.

Gerson’s remains were brought to San Fernando Funeral Homes. (FREEMAN)