Brawls cap festival in Bacolod, 9 arrested

MANILA, Philippines — Two brawls capped this year's celebration of the MassKara in Bacolod, with police arresting nine of the participants, an online news site reported Tuesday. Visayan Daily Star (www.visayandailystar.com) reported that the nine had ganged up on each other in two separate incidents at the end of MassKara. In the first incident, police arrested Alvin Varona, 18; Jomar Quimanan, 18; Jumars Billandres, 18; and Aladin Eslito, 19, for allegedly beating each other up with plastic chairs and beer bottles. The incident occurred at the Freth Davies kiosk at the public plaza shortly after midnight Sunday. Stall owner Ma. Theresa Tan, 31, said the suspects damaged some P3,300 in property, and another P1,600 for the unsettled accounts of other customers who left when the riot broke out. In the second incident, police arrested Rain Borja, 21; Joshua Lopez, 18; Alfie Rodiguez, 18; Stephen Dequiña, 32; and Dandy Diana, 30, for figuring in a scuffle at the plaza, at about 1:20 a.m. Monday. Hundreds of revelers flocked to the plaza where kiosks serve food and liquor during the 19-day MassKara Festival that ended Sunday. Bacolod City Police Station 1 records showed eight mauling incidents and 50 alarm-and-scandal cases were recorded during the period. - GMANews.TV