The lane leading to the entrance of the Manila North Cemetery as strict security is being implemented for Undas 2024. DIANNE SAMPANG / INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — A 36-year-old “queer guy” got mauled inside the Manila North Cemetery and was rushed to the hospital on Friday morning, the Manila Police District (MPD) said.

According to Pol. Brig. Gen. Arnold Ibay, the incident happened around 2 a.m. and not during the cemetery’s visiting period.

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“That incident is under investigation to know the root cause of what happened early this morning, and not as of this moment,” Ibay said in Filipino during an interview.

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Further, the Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), which attended to the injured individual, said that the person, named Ernie Esteban, got drunk and attacked inside the cemetery.

READ: PNP: Confiscated items at Manila North Cemetery may be claimed Nov. 3-4

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“Ernie Esteban is a member of the LGBTQ [community]. ‘They are’ 36 years old. ‘Their’ chief complaint is chest pain. ‘Their’ eye has hematoma already. It closed due to swelling from being punched,” Boyet Medina, an emergency medical technician from MDRRMO, told reporters.

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“Based on the relatives, the attacker was already on the list of the blotter in the barangay… The victim may know who mauled him,” Medina added.

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Medina added that around 2 p.m., the risk reduction team had attended to 68 patients inside the cemetery.

Of this figure, 62 got their blood pressure checked, five got rushed to the hospital, while the remaining got monitored due to headache.

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Meanwhile, Ibay said that the MPD is also investigating how the alcoholic drink was sneaked into the cemetery, as it is one of the prohibited items upon entry. However, it remains unclear whether Esteban is a resident of the cemetery.

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Ibay also said that no other untoward incident had been reported aside from the mauling. Ibay noted that all the police officers deployed for Undas 2024 are on “heightened alert” to anticipate the crowd in cemeteries, bus stations, and major thoroughfares.

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As of 2 p.m. on Fridaywazamba, around 840,000 visitors have arrived at the cemetery.

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