Police probe suicide case inside church in Naga

By Paulo DS. Papa

POLICE authorities and even the immediate family remain puzzled over how an 18-year-old student managed to obtain the firearm he used to take his own life inside the San Francisco de Asissi Church in Naga City on Sunday night.

At around 8:00 p.m. on June 29, shortly after the conclusion of a Holy Mass, the student — identified as Al John, a native of Pasay City — was seen kneeling for several minutes before the Divine Mercy image. Moments later, he reportedly shot himself in the head using a Glock pistol.

Police Maj Rey Alvarez, chief of Naga City Police Station 1, said in an interview that the origin of the firearm used in the suicide remains under investigation.

The pistol was recovered by Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) near the kneeler where the student’s body fell. Authorities are working to determine who may have handed the weapon to the victim.

In the wake of the incident, the Archdiocese of Caceres ordered the temporary closure of the church for three days.

A statement signed by Rev. Fr. Darius S. Romualdo, chancellor of the archdiocese, said the church would remain closed until July 2 for a period of “prayerful mourning and reparation.”

The church reopened to the public on the evening of July 2 following a rite of reparation.

The student’s grandfather, who requested anonymity, confirmed that Al John had been staying temporarily at his residence in Zone 5, Barangay Igualdad, while on vacation.

He recounted that on Sunday evening, he had gone to the Blessed Sacrament to pray when a sudden gunshot was heard, prompting churchgoers to rush outside. Feeling something was wrong, he ran back inside and was devastated to discover his grandson lying lifeless, being blessed by a priest.

An aunt of the student, who also asked to withhold her identity, shared that Al John had recently joined a family outing in Pasacao, Camarines Sur. She said he appeared cheerful and gave no sign of the burden he had been carrying.