A man is now in police custody after causing alarm at the historic Taal Basilica in Batangas by driving a motorcycle straight into the church and disrupting the sacred space on Tuesday morning.
CCTV footage from the scene shows the man parking his motorcycle right in front of the altar, sitting on the priest’s chair, putting his feet up, and even clapping while inside the church.
According to Police Captain Rommel Magno, Officer-in-Charge of the Taal Municipal Police Station, the church filed a complaint leading to the man’s arrest.
“After the incident, dinala sa station, ‘yung mga tao sa simbahan nandoon din. Iba ‘yung ugali nung tao. ‘Yung girlfriend umiiyak, ang sabi niya ‘Hindi naman ganiyan ‘yan, nag-bless sa tatay ko na hindi naman niya dati ginagawa’. Tapos ay iba ‘yung galaw niya. Sinasabihan niya ‘yung mga preso na ‘mahihina kayong nilalang’, ‘gusto niyo magsuntukan tayo’, para siyang may pinagdadaanan, parang depressed,” said Magno in an ABS-CBN News report.
He added that the man’s parents claimed he had no history of vices. “Sabi ng magulang, eh wala namang bisyo ‘yan, hindi naninigarilyo at hindi umiinom ng alak. Sabi ng mga pari nakita na po ng mga obispo, siyempre po para hindi na pamaresan, at hindi na maulit, tuturuan ng leksyon. Hindi po gagawin ng normal na tao ‘yun,” he added.
Authorities are currently evaluating the suspect’s mental condition and continuing their investigation into the incident.
