Charles Teves
Social media users were in a fit after a Quezon City resident was apprehended by village watchmen for stepping outside his house during curfew hours.
According to LJ Cabangis, who is a student, he only went outside because the delivery rider found it difficult to pinpoint his location.
Without hesitation, village watchmen went and tried to arrest him.
“Tapos nakita ko po ‘yong mga tanod papunta sa akin tapos noong papunta na po sila, umatras po ako sa may tapat ng bahay ko. Sabi ko kukuhanin ko lang ‘yong delivery ko tapos ang sabi sumama na raw ako sa kanila,” he narrated.
The watchmen said Cabangis looked suspicious the way he ran which is why they went after him.
“Kung siya po ay nakipag-usap ng maayos, ‘di naman po ganoon kalupit ang barangay para hindi ikunsidera na siya ay may order ng GrabFood,” Mark Magsalin, Barangay Apolonio Samson administrator said.
A complaint will be filed against the watchmen by the young student.
No matter how awful what happened to him was, Cabangis is still lucky to have left the incident unharmed because 28-year-old Darren Manaog Peñaredondo of General Trias, Cavite recently lost his life for violating curfew rules.
He was caught by village watchmen buying drinking water past 6 pm on April 1.
Peñaredondo’s live-in partner, Reichelyn Balce, said he and other violators were ordered to do squat-like exercises as punishment.
“Ang kuwento niya po sa akin, dinala sila sa Plaza ng Malabon sa tapat po ‘yun ng munisipyo. Tapos po, pinag-pumping daw sila ng mga pulis nang 100 times. Sabi pa po sa kanila, ‘pag di sila sabay-sabay, pauulitin daw sila. Kuwento niya rin po sa akin na natumba rin siya doon,” Balce said.
He came home the next day limping but only smiled at Balce when asked if he was physically harmed.
“Tapos pag-uwi niya po nang umaga ng Biyernes, mag-aalas otso nang umaga, akay-akay na po siya ng kasama niyang nahuli sakay ng mobile. Tinanong ko kung nabugbog ba siya, ngumiti lang siya pero halata mong may masakit sa kanya.”
Later that afternoon, he struggled to move while complaining about pain in his thighs and knees.
“Maghapon na ‘yun, hirap na hirap siyang lumakad, gumagapang siya sa sahig para lang makatayo… Pero di ko siya sineryoso masyado kasi ang sabi niya lang masakit ‘yung tuhod saka hita niya tapos ‘yung katawan niya.”
His cousin, Adrian Luceña who broke the news of his death on facebook, said in an interview that Peñaredondo later suffered a seizure.
Neighbors helped perform CPR on him but he still died.
“Nu’ng nagpatulong po siya para umihi, doon na po siya nag-seizure. Nag-kombulsyon na po siya, nag-violet na po mukha niya. Wala na ‘yung heartbeat niya. Nagpatulong lang ako sa mga kapitbahay namin para i-CPR siya, doon lang bumalik heartbeat niya,” Luceña said.
Chairman Rodolfo Cruz Jr of Barangay Tejero said Peñaredondo and others were handed to the General Trias police.
But Marlo Nillo Solero, former General Trias police chief Police Lieutenant Colonel, denied that violators are directed to perform physical exercises.
