Airman dies in ‘accidental shooting’ at Aguinaldo

MANILA, Philippines - An Air Force soldier died yesterday after allegedly shooting himself in the barracks of Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

“It is initially presumed that it was accidental firing,” Armed Forces spokesman Col. Arnulfo Burgos Jr. said in a press briefing.

He said it appears that Airman First Class Jayson Reforsado, 26, accidentally shot himself in the head a few minutes past midnight.

“There is no reason to believe that he was trying to grab a gun from an enemy. Second, they (Reforsado’s colleagues) do not see any reason for him to commit suicide because he did not confide any problem to them,” he added.

Police Officer 2 Julius Balbuena said Sergeant Julius Ferrer told them he was awakened by a gunshot in their barracks.

Balbuena said Ferrer got up and reported the incident to Master  Sergeant Fernando Asuncion. When they turned on the lights, they saw Reforsado lying in his bunk bed with blood oozing from his head, police said.

Reforsado sustained a  gunshot wound in the right temple, Balbuena said. The airman was rushed to the Armed Forces Medical Center but died on the way.

The police and military are conducting separate investigations into the death of Reforsado, who has been in the service for more than three years.