A farmer stole the scene by climbing the 50-feet high acacia tree at the Bacolod Public Plaza and attempting to jump at about 7 p.m. Sunday.

Bacolod City deputy fire marshal Insp. Publio Ploteña, who rushed to the scene with City fire marshal, Chief Insp. Pamela Candido, identified the farmer as Domingo Emboltorio, 50, of Brgy. Juvellar in Igbaras town, Iloilo province.

Ploteña said Senior Fire Officer 1 Harry Fernandez and Fire Officers 1 Ernnie Jardeleza and Abdul Azis Limpao negotiated with Emboltorio while the policemen cordoned the area.

Emboltorio claimed that he climbed the tree because he was being chased by unidentified men. He also asked the firemen to give him money so he could go home to Iloilo.

Three hours after the negotiation, Emboltorio decided to go down when the firemen agreed to give him his fare to go home and also promised to give him pocket money and groceries for his family.

Emboltorio was brought to the BFP central station in Brgy. 8 where he was given food but several minutes later, he attempted to stab his neck with a fork. He was rushed to the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital but was later released as he sustained only minor injuries, Ploteña said.

Emboltorio’s daughter, Cremelyn Emboltorio, said they have not seen their father for almost 25 years now and that he was here for the wake of her mother in Isabela town, Negros Occidental Thursday last week.

She said they did not notice anything wrong with him, adding that they went to the Isabela police to report that her father was missing when he failed to come home on Saturday after buying cigarets from a nearby store.

Cremelyn said they only learned about her father’s act through the radio Sunday night.*APN

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