Dinagyang Festival generally peaceful, police say
Police said the two-day festivities of Dinagyang Festival 2009 were generally peaceful apart from a stabbing incident that claimed the life of a merrymaker and wounded another during the merrymaking activity in the wee hours of the morning.
Police said the lone casualty was 27-year-old Phil Caspillo while the wounded was the victim’s companion identified as 28-year-old Richard Miraflores.
Caspillo expired at the Iloilo St. Paul Hospital where he was rushed while Miraflores is presently undergoing medical treatment in the said hospital from a stab wound in his left stomach.
Police said the incident happened an hour just after midnight on Sunday amid the merrymaking activity.
Caspillo and Miraflores were strolling among the huge crowd of revelers at the corner of Ledesma and Valeria Streets in the heart of the city when they accidentally bumped the suspects.
Heated arguments reportedly ensued between them and the suspects that ultimately led into the stabbing. Bystanders later saw the bloodied Caspillo and Miraflores and rushed them to the nearby hospital.
Investigation is presently being conducted by the city police in their effort to identify the suspects who are at large as of press time.
The Kasadyahan Group or mardi gras parade and competition held on Saturday and the Ati-Ati tribe competition on Sunday highlighted this year’s Dinagyang Festival, which was considered by the police authorities to be generally peaceful with no major incidents happening.
The police authorities considered the stabbing incident a remote case.
Earlier, Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) regional director Chief Supt. Isagani Cuevas and OIC Iloilo City director Senior Supt. Eugenio Espejo vowed to keep this year’s Dinagyang Festival a violence-free celebration, which he said could be achieved with the cooperation and support of every sector including the government and non-government organizations. (PNA)