Monday, February 25, 2008 Traffic, mauling mar Panagbenga
TRAFFIC in Baguio was at its worst last Saturday compared to the rest of the year, after thousands of visitors trooped here to witness the Panagbenga parades, to the detriment of many local commuters and residents.
This was reportedly aggravated by the closure of Abanao Street to vehicles, to give way to a series of concerts in the past two days, despite the traffic congestion experienced elsewhere within the city's central business district.
To add to the mayhem, a minor was stabbed, while two of his equally young companions were mauled by still unidentified assailants, while walking along Harrison Road to get to the "Abanao Nights" concert in the wee hours of Saturday morning.
Hours before that, a vendor was also mauled by still unidentified men at Zandueta Street, which was just adjacent to the concert site.
Senior Superintendent Moises Guevarra, director of the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO), described the stab victim as being only 17, a student of the University of the Cordillera, who resides at Upper Pinget. His two companions, who were mauled by the same gang, were also said to be 17 and students who live in the same barangay.
The three victims were mauled, before one of them was stabbed in the left side of his body, near Melvin Jones grandstand Sunday dawn.
They were rushed to the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center emergency ward for treatment.
At 7:15 p.m. that day, a vendor named Christopher Bragais, 32, was also mauled by still unidentified men for no apparent reason at Zandueta Street.
Like the three students, Bragais was also brought to the same hospital for treatment by concerned citizens.
Guevarra said investigations are on going for both incidents.
Meanwhile, taxi and jeepney drivers complained of abnormal earnings due to the massive traffic created by the street parade portion of the 2008 Baguio Flower Festival. (ENO/SB)
