Suicide, drugs eyed in fire

A 32-year-old man suspected to be high on drugs died after he reportedly blockaded himself inside his room and then set it on fire Sunday morning.

The burnt body of Marlon Balse was recovered by fire fighters in the attic of his aunt’s house at BF Resort Village in Barangay (village) Talon Dos, Las Piñas City.

Chief Insp. Ramon Capundag, head of the city’s fire department, told the Inquirer that the fire which started at 9:15 a.m. originated from Balse’s room which was locked from the inside.

“The entrance door to the attic was also blocked by a dining table and a videoke machine,” Capundag added, raising the possibility that Balse may have deliberately set his room on fire in an attempt to end his life.

His aunt, Imelda Calpe and his cousins, who were living on the ground floor, escaped unscathed.

Some neighbors told investigators that Balse used drugs which may have prompted him to set his room on fire. “The relatives said he was wild and out of control on Saturday but did not mention what his problems were,” the Las Piñas fire chief said.

Capundag added that they were still investigating the cause of fire, telling the Inquirer that they were trying to determine what Balse used to start the blaze.

The fire which reached the second alarm lasted for about 30 minutes and affected only the attic. Maricar B. Brizuela