A FAMILY in Carcar City, south of Cebu, was stunned when a century-old statue of Saint Veronica "shed tears of blood" around noon of Maundy Thursday, April 13.
Val Sandiego, custodian of the statue, said he and his family were on their way to Dumanjug Thursday morning when their househelp called and informed them that the statue was weeping blood.
"We were more than halfway when our maid called, telling us nga naghilak og dugo," said Sandiego, a famous choreographer and art collector.
Sandiego's relative, Carcar City Information Officer Candice Acuña, said the blood dripped down to the statue's pink dress.
"Red gyud ang color. Iyang sinina natoan," Acuña said in a telephone interview.
But Sandiego said that prior to the incident, he noticed a scratch on the statue's neck.
"I was really thinking ngano naa may scratch sa iyang neck... There must be a message for this Good Friday. It could be that we have to reflect this Holy Week," he said.
He said the statue belongs to his great great grandparents.
"Dugay na ni sya. Mga 1870s pa," he said.
The Sandiego family said that they will call Carcar City parish priest Msgr. Carlito Pono and tell him about the incident.
According to pious tradition, Saint Veronica was the woman from Jerusalem who wiped the face of Jesus Christ during the Way of the Cross. She accompanied Jesus Christ to Calvary. (LMY/SunStar Philippines)