A harrowing fiesta experience in San Juan

I am writing about the recent celebration of the feast of St. John the Baptist in San Juan City. As a foreigner, I have always been fascinated and impressed by the Filipino customs and practices marking fiesta celebrations. I love the Sinulog celebration of the feast of Santo Niño in Cebu, and I was very happy when I joined the huge crowd that attended the Black Nazarene celebration in Quiapo last year.

I’m sure that for a tourist coming here, the way Filipinos celebrate their fiestas with such great enthusiasm, and in so many numbers, is a great attraction.

Although this year’s is the third June I have spent in the Philippines, it was the first time I passed through San Juan on its fiesta day. At first I found it very interesting to see the crowds by the side of the road, dousing one another and the cars passing by. However, my interest and fascination quickly vanished when the vehicle we were in came under what I can only describe as a “mob attack.”

I was with a group of friends (mostly religious sisters and brothers) and a priest from our congregation, on our way to a retreat, when a group of revellers stopped our van in the middle of the road. Not content with splashing water on our car, the group opened the passenger side door and threw more water into our vehicle.

When our driver reached over to help the two young women in the passenger seat, the mob opened the door on the driver’s side and threw in more water. The attack damaged the hearing aid our driver was wearing.

The mob then tried to force open the sliding door on the right-hand side of the vehicle. Fortunately I was able to hold it shut, but they were able to open a window on the other side, all the time throwing in more and more water. Not content with what they had done, they proceeded to open the back door and drenched the four Chinese religious sitting in the back seat.

Eventually we managed to fight them off, but not before the jacket of one of our Chinese companions was stolen. The attackers also made an attempt to steal the flowers to be used for a Mass, which we had with us.

We felt very violated and intimidated by the attack. We do not believe that the assault honored the memory of St. John the Baptist, and we hope it was not representative of the way most people who live in that area celebrate their fiesta.

I would like to request the authorities that in the future they make police presence in that area more visible to avoid a recurrence of such incident. It’s a shame that such a beautiful feast was marred by the thuggery and aggressive behavior of a few.

—DANIEL DRUM,

Verbum Dei Catholic Missionary,

[email protected]