A riot involving minors broke out following the Simbang Gabi Mass at Saint Gabriel the Archangel Parish in Caloocan City.
According to Bea Pinlac’s report on “24 Oras Weekend” on Sunday, the altercation erupted along Jose P. Bautista Avenue, near the boundary of Barangays 79 and 80, where several minors began throwing Molotov cocktails at each other.
This was not the first incident of minors causing disturbances after Simbang Gabi.
“So ‘pag nagsimba sila rito, doon nagkakaroon ng angasan. Ngayon, once na uwian na, dito sila magkikita. Dito magbabatuhan,” said Barangay Captain Ezra Cruz.
(Whenever they attend Simbang Gabi here, tensions arise among them. Once the Mass ends, they gather in this area and start throwing objects at each other.)
Barangay officials reported that around 40 minors were involved in the riot.
One of the participants, a 15-year-old minor, claimed they were provoked.
“Nagsisimba po kami nang maayos noon. Naangasan sa amin. Bale ang nangyari noon, gusto nilang banatan tropa namin,” said the youth.
(We were attending the Mass peacefully when they started showing hostility toward us. They wanted to confront one of our friends.)
“Gumaganti lang po kami eh. Sila po nangunguna,” he added.
(We were just defending ourselves—they started it.)
Officials from Barangays 79 and 80 stated that police officers were patrolling the area. However, the minors waited for the police to leave before starting their brawls.
To address the issue, the barangay and police are closely monitoring the area.
“Meron po tayong nakatalaga na pulis na sa anumang oras na may mga riot at may mga kaguluhan, agad po slang makapagresponde,” said Police Lieutenant Gladys Co, Northern Police District chief public information officer.
(We have officers assigned to respond immediately to any riots or disturbances.)
Earlier last week, a similar incident occurred near the San Roque Cathedral, where 10 minors engaged in a brawl. According to Barangay 13 officials, the fight stemmed from a disagreement among friends. — Mariel Celine Serquiña/DVM, GMA Integrated News
