Retired soldier shoots self in Cavite

CAMP VICENTE LIM – A retired soldier was reported to have killed himself an hour after he barricaded himself inside a three-story house, fired shots from inside and burned parts of the house in Dasmariñas, Cavite, on Friday night.

Dasmariñas City police chief Supt. Carlos Barde, in a phone interview, said a certain Rafael Policarpio began barricading himself inside the second floor of the house in Barangay (village) Salawag at around 8:30 p.m., which ended around 9:30 p.m. when his lifeless body was found by policemen.

“There were successive shots fired inside the house and we found him dead inside. We suppose that (shots) did not come from anyone but him,” he said.

Policarpio, 59, started ranting that his family neglected him soon after he barricaded himself inside the house, Barde said.

Police and firefighters arrived at the scene shortly after 8:30 p.m. after fire broke out in some portions of the house; and thereafter heard shots rang out from inside.

“His wife and children were able to escape. No one else was hurt,” said Barde, who did not identify the wife or how many children there were.

Cavite police director Senior Supt. Joselito Esquivel, in a text message, said the police exercised “diplomatic negotiations” with Policarpio but failed to get him out alive.

Policarpio was a retired enlisted soldier, although it was still not clear whether he used to be with the Philippine Army or Philippine Navy, he said.

According to Barde, Policarpio, a native of San Pedro Laguna, founded a still unknown religious group and held religious activities on the house’s third floor.

In a phone interview at around 10 p.m., Barde said the Scene of the Crime Operatives (Soco) were still in the area investigating and Policarpio’s body has yet to be taken out of the house yet.