Man ‘shoots’ self after not getting hamburger

CEBU, Philippines - After being denied money to buy hamburger, a 29-year-old man reportedly shot himself Monday midnight in his rented room in Barangay Ermita, Cebu City.

Richard Ram Palermo, resident of the place, was found bathed in blood with his girlfriend Jovelyn Nayre crying by his side when informant Reymar Abellar, 19, arrived at the victim’s room.

Abellar, who is the son of the owners of the house, told the police that he was in the house when Palermo and Nayre were engaged in a heated argument that night inside their room.

When the quarrel mellowed down, Palermo reportedly went out the bedroom, approached Abellar and told him to go out and buy hamburger from a nearby joint. 

However, Nayre allegedly refused to give money to Palermo, saying her money was intended to buy “balut” supplies which she was supposed to sell later that night.

An angry Palermo then grabbed his firearm and reportedly threatened to shoot himself. At this point, Abellar intervened to ask Palermo to calm down, to which the latter heeded.

Abellar said he went out to watch a movie at his aunt’s house after Palermo put the gun down and seemed to have been pacified.

According to Police Officer 3 Winston Ybañez of Cebu City Police Office-Homicide Section, Abellar heard a gunshot an hour after he left the two.

“Nibalik dayon si Abellar ug didto niya nakita si Palermo nga nagbuy-od, unya iyang uyab sa kilid naghilak,” Ybañez told The FREEMAN.

Ybañez added that Palermo sustained a gunshot to his right forehead that went out through his nape. He was rushed to the Cebu City Medical Center and was later transferred to Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

“Ingon pa sa mga silingan nga samtang gidala si Palermo sa ospital, ang babaye (Nayre) kuno kay nilakaw dayon unya wala na makit-i,” Ybañez said.

Responding police officers recovered two empty shells of .45 caliber firearm bullets at the crime scene and took custody of the loaded Safari caliber .45 gun believed to have been used in the shooting.

Ybañez said they are now working on finding Nayre for further investigation. She is said to be a native of Bohol.  (FREEMAN)