(Batangas City) – A 22-year old stranger to this city simply walked his way to the main altar of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception this city at 3pm Christmas day, took one of the heavy-metal candlesticks and took a single strike at the Blessed Sacrament barely scratching it. He then turned to the main altar and with three thundering thuds destroyed the marble altar, then took a swipe at the candlesticks at the left and another at the right side of the already-deformed altar before hurrying down to the side where the parish’s patron , the black Sto. Nino, was displayed. With the same candlestick, he tore down the glass protecting the Holy Child, hitting the crown and the little hand that held the globe.
Male by-standers tried to subdue him but not after the man took a swipe at one of them, sending him to the hospital nearby. He was whisked to the police station, a few meters away from the Basilica. He could not be interviewed that afternoon. It was only the following day that the man opened up to the lady psychiatrist, Dra. Anggie Acosta, recently named the official doctor to the residents of the St. Joseph Seniorate, and a resident of Batangas City. She was accompanied by the Parish Pastoral Council president, Mr. Gerry Fetalvero, who was deputized by the parish priest, Fr. Conrado Castillo, to follow up the police investigation. Later, Fr. Oscar Andal, ARchdiocesan Chancellor, and Fr. Mike Samaniego, ARchdiocesan Finance Officer, arrived at the police station having been sent by the Archbishop on the same mission.
According to Dra. Acosta, her examination and interview with the young man revealed that he suffered from a “brief reactive psychosis, secondary to sleep deprivation and hunger.” Investigators learnt that Danny (real name withheld) was the eldest of four siblings. His father Lino left them orphaned with only his mother taking care of them. They live in the streets of Kabangkalan. To help his mother and siblings, he went to work at a piggery in Calbayog, Samar, where he was promised to be paid P2,000 monthly. According to Danny, he was paid only P500. Unable to stand this situation, he jumped ship and landed in Manila to try his luck. Unable to find any vacancy and no more money in his pocket, he just took the road. He claimed to have travelled from Makati to Batangas for five days
without sleep and food. At this point, he was sobbing and opened up.
“I was angry with God,” he said in halting Tagalog, which he speaks very little. He also disclosed that he was not a Catholic — he said he is a Pentecostal. He further claimed that this was the first time he had committed a violent action. He was asking for forgiveness, admitting that what he did was not right.
Archbishop Ramon C. Arguelles, in a radio interview earlier that day in the Archdiocesan radio station, DWAL-FM 95.9 Radyo Totoo, categorically stated that the Church will not press any charges on Danny, but rather find out why he was able to do this, and extend whatever possible help the Church could give. The local city government, thru City Administrator Philip Baroja, said it would be coordinating with the DSWD in Kabangkalan so that Danny would be repatriated.
In the meantime, a 24-hour reparation was set December 26, starting with a Mass at 2pm. Different religious organizations and barangays comprising the parish took turns in vigil and prayer. The youth held the midnight to dawn vigil. A Mass in the afternoon the following day concluded the act of reparation. Long-time church benefactor, Dr. Luis Pastor, is taking care of the repair of the Sto. Nino image, soon to be honored with a fiesta on January 16 – the traditional date of the feast of the patron of the whole city! Fr. Castillo said the parish is footing the bill for the repair of the altar, which he hopes would be re-consecrated on Saturday, the eve of the civil’s New Year!
