Sibonga family suspects drug use behind father setting himself on fire

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The family of a man who died after setting himself on fire inside his home in Sibonga, Cebu, believes he may have been under the influence of illegal drugs before the incident, saying his behavior had drastically changed after he allegedly returned to using prohibited substances.

In separate interviews on Thursday, August 6, Sibonga Municipal Police Station chief Police Major Michael G. Calaurian and the victim’s wife, identified only by the alias “Lyn,” said the family had long suspected the victim was using illegal drugs before the self-immolation took place on Monday, August 3.

The victim died at around 5 a.m. on Tuesday, August 4, a day after sustaining severe burn injuries.

Wife recalls incident

Lyn shared that the incident stemmed from an argument after one of their children confronted the victim about a missing item inside their house.

The confrontation angered her husband, who allegedly pursued her inside their home.

“Naa diay siyay gasolina daan nga giandam nga iyaha na kunong giplano daan unsa iyahang buhaton,” she said. (He had already prepared gasoline, which he said he would use for his plans.)

Her husband then retrieved the gasoline and poured it over himself while their children urged her to flee and immediately called the police, according to Lyn.

The victim also warned responding police officers not to approach him before running inside his shanty and locking himself in.

She noted that although he had previously threatened to harm himself and his family, this was the first time he carried out his threat.

Lyn estimated that the victim had around three liters of gasoline, saying one 1.5-liter bottle was poured over his body.

Family suspects drug use

Lyn expressed her belief that her husband had used illegal drugs shortly before the incident.

“Ato nga time, nilakaw man siya. Unya og mulakaw na siya, mao na na. Ako makaila man gyud ko kay akoa baya nang bana kaila gyud kos iyahang lihok,” she said.

(In those times, he would leave home. And once he leaves, that’s it. I really would know because he is my husband. I really know his ways)

She recalled that after working as a caregiver last year and spending more time away from home, she noticed significant changes in his behavior.

Later on, she discovered a sachet believed to contain shabu while he was inside the bathroom, convincing her that he had resumed using illegal drugs.

Furthermore, she noted that she could usually tell from his demeanor whenever he had gone out and allegedly used prohibited substances.

Police also received a similar account from one of the victim’s children.

Calaurian revealed that investigators were informed the victim had allegedly been heavily using illegal drugs prior to the incident.

“Based sa istorya sa iyahang anak, nagrabehan na siya og suyop-suyop. Manggamitay siya,” the police chief said. (Based on his children’s stories, their father’s drug use got so bad. He became an actual addict.)

Police response

According to Sibonga police, officers responded to the incident at around 7:30 a.m. on August 3 after receiving a report from a concerned citizen.

Responding officers found the victim inside his shanty after he had reportedly doused himself with gasoline.

Police said officers initially attempted to negotiate with him and even asked his wife to contact their eldest son in an effort to persuade him to surrender peacefully.

However, the shanty suddenly exploded and caught fire while negotiations were ongoing.

Responding officers used a fire extinguisher and coordinated with nearby residents to keep the flames from spreading to adjacent houses.

The victim sustained severe burn injuries and was immediately rushed to Carcar District Hospital for emergency treatment before being referred to a hospital in Cebu City.

Calaurian said the victim eventually succumbed to his injuries at around 5 a.m. on August 4, about a day after the incident.

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