Man mauled by Sinulog partygoers

CEBU, Philippines - The next Sinulog is still a year away but one man is already planning on spending it away from Cebu City.

Carlo Borromeo, 38, told The FREEMAN partygoers who have gone wild outside their house in Juana Osmeña Street mauled him when he and his wife were heading out of their compound Sunday night.

He sustained bruises in different parts of his body and suffered a fracture in the nose and the right side of his face. Doctors have advised him to undergo surgery to fix the fractures.

Borromeo said that at around 8:40 p.m. last Sunday, he and his wife were driving out their gate but it was reportedly difficult to maneuver the car because of the partying crowd that has gathered outside.

When he saw that some people had begun putting paint and scratching their car, he went down to stop them, but the next thing he knew, he was receiving punches in the face and body. Borromeo said things happened in a blur but he eventually managed to get back inside his car and drive the vehicle back to the house.

His wife would tell him later that about five men had mauled him. He said they wanted to report the incident to the police or the barangay but they could not pass through the wild crowd.

It was only the following day, when he was aching badly from the bruises, that they went to the Perpetual Succour Hospital.

Borromeo said having crowds at their area during Grand Parade day isn’t new to him but he is now questioning the capability of organizers and authorities to control the crowds. He said the incident Sunday was not the first unpleasant one.

“Last year gani, nabawog among gate tungod sa ka-grabe sa mga tawo. And there were people nga naglingkod-lingkod na nakasulod na sa among compound,” he said.

Last Sunday night, some of those who converged outside their house for the party organized by a business establishment across them have reportedly gone up the front gate of their compound.

He said he noticed some policemen in the area but could not tell if they actually responded to the situation.

“Mao na diha. Ganahan kaayo sila nga daghan og bisita ang Cebu inig Sinulog unya di man diay sila maka-control sa crowd. Ingon pa sila nga no street parties allowed, unya unsa na man na ang nahitabo ron?” he said.

“Di na lang magtuga-tuga kung di nila kaya,” he said.

Because of what happened, his family has reportedly decided of spending the Sinulog next year outside of the city.

Crowd  control

Borromeo’s neighbor, Joan Danao, 49, said there were about 15 policemen at the site but she understands why it was difficult for them to control the massive crowd, more so stop them from drinking liquor and partying.

 “Grabe ka unruly ang crowd. Di ka kaagi dayon. Naa pa to’y tiguwang sa among luyo nga hapit na lang gyud siya matumba, hapit matumban kay magtukmod-tukmod na man,” she said.

She said the government should have come up with ways to address the problem because it is not new.

“They should look at what happened the previous year. Let’s do something. Naa man gud na sila’y budget. Get consultants, ask people, ask the private sector. There are still a few things we can do to prevent a stampede,” she said.

She said she will write a formal letter to City Hall because incidents involving crime must be reported to concerned authorities so that appropriate actions can be taken.

Councilor David Tumulak, chair of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, said no report of the mauling incident reached them Sunday.

“Wala mi kadawat og report nga naay nakulatahan but usually on such cases, the police are the front liner for that,” he said.

He recalled that the city has demanded from the police for more personnel in areas frequented by crowds during the Grand Parade day.

“Police visibility is a must. We did ask that police should be assigned in crowded areas to take precautionary measures to avoid any untoward incident,” Tumulak said.

The city has discouraged street parties on the day of the Grand Parade, especially along the carousel route, purposely to prevent incidents such as what happened to Borromeo from happening. Bars and restaurant buildings, however, were allowed to operate.

The policy was put in place this year to keep the solemnity of the celebration in honor of Sr. Santo Niño to prevent incidents in previous years wherein drunk individuals figured in scandalous scenes. — (FREEMAN)