Police in Mandaue trying to find out if man who destroyed Sto. Niño’s glass case is mentally stable or not

One of the maintenance personnel of the National Shrine of St. Joseph shows the damaged case of the image of the Sto. Niño whose glass was shattered after a man threw a stone on it during a morning Mass on Monday, Oct. 11. | Mae Fhel Gom-os

MANDAUE CITY, Philippines — Police are still trying to determine if the man, who destroyed the glass case of the image of the Señor Sto. Niño inside the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Mandaue City, is mentally unstable or not.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Eloveo Marquez, deputy city director for operations of the Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO), said that the 33-year-old Barangay Paknaan resident would be free of liability if it would proven that he was mentally unstable when he threw a stone at the image of the Sto. Niño inside the national shrine on Monday morning, October 11.

The man was arrested by police after he allegedly broke the glass case of the Sto. Niño inside the shrine early this day.

Marquez said that once it would be proven that the man was ‘mentally challenged’ then he would be free of liability of what he did.

He also said that they could not force the suspect to take a drug test and that if he would be proven to be mentally challenged, it would seem that his family would be required to shoulder the damage that Bandilao had caused.

“If dili drug related ang iyang primerong offense, dili sya pwede e drug test. I believe it’s a violation of his right to privacy. If mapamatud-an sad nga mentally challenged he is exempt from liability, and maybe, his family is required by law to shoulder the damage,” he said.

(If the primary offense is not drug-related, then he cannot be forced to take a drug test. I believe it’s a violation of his right to privacy. If it can be proven that he is mentally challenged then he is exempt from liability, and maybe, his family is required by law to shoulder the damage.)

Initial investigation showed that the man allegedly destroyed the glass case of the image of the Holy Child when he threw a big rock at it while a Mass was being celebrated inside the shrine.

Before he destroyed the glass case of the Sto. Niño image, he also allegedly broke the vases of flowers offered in front of the image of the Virgin Mary.

The man before throwing a stone at the image of the Sto. Niño at the National Shrine of St. Joseph allegedly broke a vase offered in front of the Virgin Mary. | Contributed photo

The commotion that the man caused stopped the celebration of the Holy Mass as policemen were called to apprehend the suspect.

Marquez said that they could only hold the man for 12 hours, the period which they could detain a person, who had destroyed property.

He also said that the possible case that the church could file against the man would be alarm and scandal.

He said that after 12 hours if no case would be filed against the suspect, then they would be required to free him.

He also said that if the man would be proven to be mentally challenged then he would not be under police custody.

He did not specify where the man would be turned over if this would be the case.

Meanwhile, Marquez encouraged the public not to speculate on why the suspect did what he did and he would let the result of the ongoing investigation speak for itself.

He made the call after a witness claimed that the suspect was not drunk but seemed like to be high on drugs.

Marquez said that they would not give any speculative answers as to whether the suspect might have been under the influence of drugs or liquor, stressing that they still would have to wait for the result of the investigation.

He also reiterated that they could not force the suspect to undergo a drug test because that it would be a violation of the suspect’s right to privacy because his offense was not drug-related.

Marquez further stressed that the suspect might have something in mind that kept on bothering him.

“Basin naay something bothering sa iyang hunahuna or naay gamay’ng deperensya sa iyang hunahuna. So mao nay tan-won nato sa pag imbestiga sa suspect,” he added.

(It could be that something was bothering his mind or he had a mental problem. So that what we are investigating.)

But since he broke valuable things inside the church, he might be facing a case.

CDN Digital contacted the church, but they have yet to issue any statement regrarding the incident.

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