BACOLOD CITY , Philippines — The monument of General Juan Araneta in Bago City, Negros Occidental, was beheaded early Monday.
Superintendent Arnel Arpon, chief of Bago City Police Station, said bystanders reported an alleged mentally-ill person, identified as Ricky Revira, 40, of Purok Tumpok, Crossing Pulupandan, saddled at the horse statue of the monument while holding a bamboo stick, at around 3:30 a.m.
The police who responded to the scene negotiated to the suspect to come down, however, the latter resisted, Arpon said.
Further, the suspect tried to prevent a police officer from climbing up to the statue to extract him, causing him to hit the monument’s head with the bamboo stick and it fell off.
The police officer then pushed off the suspect from the statue and fell on the ground, Arpon said, adding that the suspect was detained but was later released due to his condition.
Arpon said that Bago City Mayor Ramon Torres will have the monument repaired, adding that it is a historical landmark of the city.
The monument is a historical landmark of one of the province’s top leaders who liberated Negros Island from Spanish colonization in November 5, 1898, he said. (FREEMAN)