A carpenter was arrested by cops after he caused a commotion when he tried to jump off the roof of a church in Bacolod City yesterday, the police said.

Amado Vicera, 37, a carpenter from Dulao, Bago City, Negros Occidental, was cornered by police officers and firemen after almost 30 minutes of negotiations when he got up on the roof of the Sum-ag parish church in Brgy. Sum-ag, Bacolod, at about 5:30 p.m., SPO1 Arnold Vasquez of Police Station 9, said.

Vicera, who said he had separated from his wife, claimed his economic difficulties pushed him to attempt suicide.

“I asked permission from God before I did it,” Vicera told reporters who mobbed him at the investigation room of Police Station 9.

Raymund Lapu-os, the church’s head acolyte, said that he had earlier seen Vicera in the chapel but added that he was alarmed when the former climbed up the steeple.

“I tried to convince him to come down so we could talk about it but he just stayed there and smoked a cigarette,” Lapu-os said.

Vasquez said they were forced to subdue Vicera after negotiations failed and he started to throw stones at people who had gathered in the area, and hit a tanod.

Vicera admitted that he had a drinking session before he went to the church.

The police said they will investigate the incident further to determine what actually pushed Vicera to attempt suicide,  and if he could face charges.*PP

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