Seeking the Bride

It is a tradition to every marriage that after wedding there's a honeymoon. Couples usually go to romantic places, especially in Europe, to celebrate their unity and also to have a good vacation. It's also their first time to be private and be away from their parent's intrusion and influence - their first time to be husband and wife.

However, it is not an exception that honeymoons often are happy; that couples really enjoy their time. There are incidents when the two fall in an eventual break up, ending their commencing relationship; or worst gone on a tragic accident. Well, chances always roam everywhere. Occasionally, they can be absent or present.

Anyway, the urban legend I'm referring here concerns wedding celebration and honeymoon.

I found an almost completely different but quite similar story from other country. I don't know if it is appropriate to compare our's to their's, but I saw it connected.

The Story

[Taken from the Internet:[1]]

A young woman was about to get married, and she decided she wanted to hold the wedding in the backyard of the large farmhouse where she grew up. It was a beautiful wedding and everything went perfectly. Afterwards the guests played some casual party games, and someone suggested hide-and-seek so they could get the children to play too. It wouldn't be hard to find a place to hide around the house. The groom was "it," and the bride wanted to make sure that she won the game. When no one was looking she slipped inside the house. She ran up to the attic, found an old trunk and hid in it. No one could find her. Her new husband wasn't worried though, he figured she must have just gotten tired and went inside to rest. So everyone went home. The groom looked around the house but he couldn't find her anywhere. He and her parents filed a missing persons case, but she was never found. A few years later when her mother died, the woman's father went to go through his late wife's things that were collecting dust in the attic. He came to an old chest. The lid was closed and the old lock was rusted over and holding it closed. He opened the lid and was terrified to see his daughter's decaying body in the chest. When she hid there, the lid had closed and the rusty parts of the lock had latched together, trapping her there.

And here's ours:

[Taken from a Book:[2]]

A Japanese newlywed couple went to Europe for their honeymoon. In Paris, the wife spent hours shopping for clothes. At one trendy boutique, she decided to try on several dresses. So the husband waited outside the dressing room. A long while passed and the wife didn't come out. So the husband began to wonder what was keeping her. He inquired of one of the shop girls; she checked, then told him, to his surprise, that the dressing room was empty. His initial reaction was that his wife was playing a practical joke on him. So he went back to their hotel. But she was not there. Still thinking it was a joke, he sat down to wait for her. As the hours passed, he became more and more anxious. And when she had not returned by the following morning, he was distraught. He called the police, the boutique and all the Paris hospitals. There was no trace of her anywhere. The police did what they could, but after three weeks, there wasn't a single clue. Exhausted and in despair, the husband returned to Japan. Five years passed. And then the husband, finally having gotten over the loss of his wife, received a phone call from a friend who had just returned from a trip to the Philippines. The friend told him that he had seen the wife in Manila - as the featured attraction of a freak show. With great sadness the friend explained that the wife's arms and legs had been horribly mutilated.

And I found another version from the internet.

[Taken from the Internet:[3]]

The Missing Bride A Japanese newlywed couple went to Europe for their honeymoon. In Paris, the wife spent hours shopping for clothes. At one trendy boutique, she decided to try on several dresses. So the husband waited outside the dressing room. A long while passed and the wife didn’t come out. So the husband began to wonder what was keeping her. He inquired of one of the shop girls; she checked, then told him, to his surprise, that the dressing room was empty. His initial reaction was that his wife was playing a practical joke on him. So he went back to their hotel. But she was not there. Still thinking it was a joke, he sat down to wait for her. As the hours passed, he became more and more anxious. And when she had not returned by the following morning, he was distraught. He called the police, the boutique and all the Paris hospitals. There was no trace of her anywhere. The police did what they could, but after three weeks, there wasn’t a single clue. Exhausted and in despair, the husband returned to Japan. Two years later, he found himself in the Philippines during a carnival. He stopped in front of a freak show in a shabby old tent. The sign above the entrance read “The House of Oddities”. Curious, the man entered and was disgusted at what lay within. Crouched in cages, he saw a collection of hideously deformed freaks. The bizarre denizens were terrifying examples of human misery. In the last filthy cage, he was horrified to see the featured attraction: A twisted, scarred and mutilated woman, rocking back and forth and groaning strange animal-like noises. The sign on her cage read “The Worm Woman”. She had no arms or legs. They had been hacked off and just her torso remained. Her face was covered with jagged scars from horrible operations and her mouth was sewn shut. As she turned her sad eyes up to look at him, the husband screamed as he recognized the birthmark on his wife’s face.

Well, both stories really are different because the first one died inside an old trunk after playing hide and seek with her groom and other relatives and friends invited in the wedding. While in our story, the Japanese woman just got vanish and later found mutilated in a freak show in the Philippines.

What made them quite similar is that both were couples and the female was the victim. But I'm not telling that the stories came from only one source - they're not.

There was actually another urban legend from other country where one of the characters just disappear and the protagonist search her and haven't found anymore. At the end, the main character found out that she was already dead. I didn't put it here because the persons in the story were not couples but a mother and daughter.

I don't really know when and where did the story started to spread. I'm a bit sure that it didn't start here till I found an evidence.

I have questions on the urban legend (our's). How did the woman vanish? And how did she came to the Philippines? Paris is very far from the Philippines.

The story seemed to be made up by someone or not an original Philippine urban legend. If it is truly an urban legend, it is possible that the story came from Japan because all the characters in the story were Japanese, or from Europe, or really just an invention of someone else.

If you know another version of it or any information about the story, feel free to post what you knew in the comments or e-mail me. Thank you.

Sources:
[1] http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/classics/a/The-Missing-Bride.htm
[2] True Philippine Ghost Stories. Book 4. 2004. Gianna Maniego et al. PSICOM Publishing. ISBN 971-8995-99-4.
[3] https://plus.google.com/communities/111469882949028487861

Image Source:
http://mistletoematters.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/mtoebride1.jpg

Ativan Gang

Criminal gangs are known with their distinct way or technique or method (Modus Operandi) of robbing someone or a business. Some of them are fearless. They attack their victims as if they don't have any plans. While others have plans for an attack to a person or a business to ensure that none of them will be caught.

Thanks to CCTV cameras. Knowing the identities of the criminals become much easier. However, as time passes by, they become much more dangerous compared to those criminals in the previous years.

Anyway, the Ativan Gang is not only a mere urban legend which only sprouted from rumors of the people. They actually exist, and I don't know if they still until now. Like what I always say, not all urban legends are unreal. Some of them originated from real sources, or the story itself is real. However, they are altered because of the way how it circulated through the tongues of tsismosos and tsismosas.

They became an urban legend because there are e-mailed stories spreading in the cities where the Ativan Gang is the main subject. No one knows if these said stories really happen. One thing's for sure, the incident is told by a 'friend-of-a-friend', making it doubtful. These e-mails appear as a warning, but, for me, these are good warnings though. They make Filipinos aware of what's happening.

Ativan Gang

According to real sources, Ativan Gang is one of the oldest gangs in the Philippines. Their members invite or befriend unsuspecting foreigners (usually male tourists) to eat and drink (or should I say 'bond') with them. They are using the advantage of the known Filipino attitude - hospitality. As they finally got you in their hands, they will put an ativan pill in your food or drink. As you ingested it, you'll feel dizzy and drowsy, then you find yourself asleep suddenly. The time you are unconscious, they will start robbing you - get your belongings and left you alone somewhere.

One of their tricky modus operandi is by attracting the victim using a beautiful Filipina, which is one of there member. As they were engaging in sexual activity, the girl will secretly put the drug in the drink to knock the tourist out of consciousness.

Because of them, there's this expression Filipinos used to say: Na-ATIVAN - meaning 'you are victimized by the Ativan gang' and/or 'you accidentally ingested an ativan pill'.

According to some sources, the gang started to operate in the late 70's or early 80's.


By the way, we've been talking about this Ativan Gang, but some of us don't have any idea what an Ativan pill is. So, what is it?

Ativan Drug

The last time I hear the word 'ativan' was in a news about a drug syndicate, who not only produce illegal substance but also smuggle prohibited drugs from overseas to the Philippines.

As of now, the DOH (Department of Health) and BFAD (Bureau of Food and Drugs) prohibited the selling and importing of the Ativan drug in the country. According to the same news, this drug is commonly used by criminals to rob or harm people. They might be refering to the Ativan Gang.

The generic name of the Ativan drug is lorazepam.

Ativan is in a group of drugs called benzodiazepines. It affects chemicals in the brain that may become unbalanced and cause anxiety.[4] Often times, this drug is used to treat anxiety disorders.

Ativan should not be taken if you have allergies to eat. It may cause difficulty in breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. There are also serious and mild side-effects when you take this drug, namely:

confusion, depressed mood, thoughts of suicide or hurting yourself;

hyperactivity, agitation, hostility;

hallucinations; or

feeling light-headed, fainting.

Less serious side-effects:

drowsiness, dizziness, tiredness;

blurred vision;

sleep problems (insomnia);

muscle weakness, lack of balance or coordination;

amnesia or forgetfulness, trouble concentrating;

nausea, vomiting, constipation;

appetite changes; or

skin rash

That's the reason why the government forbade this drug in circulation. Aside of the reason that some people may abuse this drug, it is also dangerous.

The Rumor

[Taken from E-mail:]

Carlo waited for weeks for the showing of the latest James Bond movie. Since all of his friends were occupied that day, he decided to see the movie alone. Before he bought his ticket, he went to Burger King to get himself a burger and a coke. Like what he always does, he didn't put ice on his soda. He entered the movie house at 5:30 pm. While nibbling on his burger, he placed the cup of coke in the armrest. After taking a few sips, he suspected something very wrong with his coke. There is now ice on it. Akala nya nainom nya yung coke ng katabi nya (He thought he had sipped the coke of the someone beside him) but there was nobody seated beside him. He lifted the cup to get a closer look. Surprise, Surprise!!!! He found powdery substance floating on the soda. He also realized that the cup is now "Jollibee" and not Burger King. He immediately run for the restroom for he knew that he was 'na-ATIVAN'. He spit all fluid that he has taken in. In no more than 2 minutes, he felt dizzy. He hurriedly left the mail. He didn't know how he did it but he was able to find his way home. By the time he reached the doorstep of his house, he was already asleep. When he woke up, it was already 8pm of the following day.

This is only one of the e-mails circulating in the internet. No one knows if this really happened. I can't say this isn't true.

Others

On February 2012, a Belgian national was victimized by two women who were allegely a member of Ativan gang. The Belgian woman was a 52-year-old veterinarian. On her trip to Malate Church, two women befriended her and invited to go to Tagaytay the next day. The two also asked her if she wanted to travel to Northern Philippines, and they said they are happy to accompany her. She replied yes.

On there trip to the north, the two also brought two more women and one man. They first went to Dagupan City, then Baguio, Banawe, and after three days, to Cabanatuan City.

On a hotel in Cabanatuan, where they stayed for the night, she woke up feeling very dizzy and her companions were gone. At first, she didn't realized what actually happened to her. She was still thinking why her companions just left her alone without telling her. Upon arrival to Manila, she finally realized that here pouch is empty - her 15,000 Euros are gone. She checked the pictures on her camera, but those were deleted. Luckily, she retrieved them and printed a copy. The authorities concluded that the six criminals are members of Ativan Gang.


The reason why I said that the warning is good, and somehow helpful, because it reminds us one thing:

Don't talk to strangers.

That's a very simple reminder whenever you are in a place you are not familiar with.

Sources:
[1]http://www.drugs.com/
http://3stars-sun.blogspot.com/2008/03/philippine-gangs-and-criminal.html
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/metro-manila/03/06/12/belgian-loses-p1-m-ativan-gang

Image Source:
http://www.philippinen-reisen.com/aktuelle-info/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/06-ativan-gang-2.gif

Saving a Faithful Girl

For Christians, Muslims and Jews, angels are Godly beings who, according to bible, are said to be messengers, soldiers, guardians, healers, avengers, etc. They all have their own jobs in heaven. St. Gabriel the Archangel is a messenger, St. Michael the Archangel is a soldier, and St. Raphael the Archangel is a healer. I don't really know the exact number of known angels, but one thing is for sure, if ever it is true that each of us have guardian angels then they are much many than our population.

I love discussions about heavenly beings, but it's not the subject for today's urban legend. One of my classmates told me a story of someone who was saved from being raped by just praying to God for safety.

I think it could be better if I tell you the version I heard.

The Story

It was passed midnight when this girl, who was working as a call center agent, went home alone from her graveyard-shift job. Her friends invited her for a ride home, but she declined because it was too far. It could be a waste of time for them driving her home, she thought. So she took a taxicab alone. After almost an hour, she finally arrived to her destination. The place is very dark not only because it was night but also the street lights are too far and some are not working. She started walking through an alley where she customarily pass going home. A second later, she heard two drunk men singing very loud quite far from her. She was alarmed because news about girls being raped in their place is often heard. As she saw the two guys approaching, she started praying hard to God for safety - even included St. Michael's name in the prayer. The two is going nearer and nearer to her. She bowed down her head to prevent eye contact with the two drunk men. As the two guys passed, she is aware that they stared at her before walking away continuously. It was a great relief passing the two guys without something worse happened. Thus she arrived in her house very safe. The daylight came and she heard somebody was raped near the same alley where she walked through.

The story was actually told to us as an inspirational story telling us to keep praying not only when danger is coming, but also every time just to be safe. Well, it inspired me indeed. That's why I always pray everytime I'm going anywhere far from home. Besides, nothing will be taken or vanish from me for just a prayer, and it gave me much confidence to go anywhere.

Actually, I heard it many times but I ignored the real meaning of the story. I remembered my classmate laughing at it, he took it like a joke. He told me the reason why she (the woman in the story) was not victimized. It could be because the girl was ugly. Like the story above said, the two drunk men stared at her before walking away continuously.

Anyway, the story above seemed not enough. I mean, something is not told on it. And here it is . . .

As soon as she heard somebody's unfortunate fate, she was thankful, however a little guilty. She could be the victim. The suspect was still not identified, so she went to the police station to help. She told the police her story, and with her help, the offender was identified. After arresting the offender, she asked one of the two guys why she was not the one they raped. And he answered: Because you are not alone. Two big guys are beside you that time.

This continuation was my reconstruction of the finale of the story. That should be the end of the story telling the reason why she wasn't attacked by two drunk guys.

Information

I asked some people if they believed that the story is true. Some of them answered yes. In my opinion, YES - it is possible, and much possible if the end wasn't included.

Like other urban legends, this story has variations. Some story tells of a student's fate after seeing two NOT drunk men.

It reminded me actually of the Jeepney story urban legend. It was a warning-type, just telling people to be careful.

I don't know when this story circulated. But I found out in Snopes.com, that it first sprouted in 2001. Here in the Philippines, in my estimate, the story spread in the years 2005 to 2009 (the year when I heard it first).

The Snopes.com gave one point about the said story, Praying doesn't stop the rape; it merely diverts it from one potential victim to another. Meaning, God gave mercy to those who are faithful. But they also pointed out that, the truly worthy, the truly unworthy, and all manner of folk in between can and do get raped, beaten, murdered, and have any number of horrible fates visited upon them.

Image Source:
http://themodernjedi.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/dark-alley.jpg

Philippine Cultic Urban Legend

Hoy! Itago niyo ang mga tsinelas niyo tuwing gabi, kasi pag nakuha ng isang kulto ang isang tsinelas, papatayin ka nila.
Hey! Hide your flip-flops everynight, 'cause if a cultist gets one of your flip-flops, they'll kill you.

I can't forget that warning when I was a child. Our neighbors that time often told me to not let even one of my flip-flops, sandals, shoes or any foot wear out of the door or else they'll get me and sacrifice me. That's the reason why I always bring them inside the house. My uncles told me that they are satanist, and they need life sacrifice everytime they're worshipping the devil. I don't know how they got that information.

Well actually, not all cults behave like that. Some of them, or should I say, all of them are not bad actually. The 'Ang Dating Daan' (or Members Church of God International) of Bro. Eli Soriano is considered a cult. The 'Iglesia Ni Kristo' (or I.N.C.) of Felix Y. Manalo, is considered a cult too. There are tens or more of them in the Philippines. Others just sprouted locally (like the first two named), while others were brought here by foreigners (one example is the 'Jehovah's Witness'). The 'Rizalista' is one example people considered a 100% cult.

Cult?

By the way, what is a cult in the first place?

According to a dictionary, a Cult is a system of religious or spiritual beliefs, especially an informal and transient belief system regarded by others as misguided, unorthodox, extremist, or false, and directed by a charismatic, authoritarian leader.

Originally, cults are used to refer to groups which worship a deity or deities. It is first used in 17th Century, but of course it evolved to what we use it for now.

One of the accepted traditional religious belief for Christian believers in the Philippines is Roman Catholic Church. Thus, religious group not following the norm of Roman Catholic Church is a Christian Cult. But in my opinion, a group is considered a cult if the members of it are small in number compared to major religious group with hundreds or thousands of population. 'Born-again Christians' varies from one place to another, and they almost differ in belief though they have much similarities, and they have small number of group members making them just like a cult. They cannot be called born-again Christians if they're still in the line of Roman Catholic Church.

On the other hand, there are also other main religions in the world, namely Buddhism, Shintoism, Taoism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Judaism and Islam. Just like in Roman Catholic Church, if other religious groups are not in the same beliefs and traditions as that of the enumerated religion, they can be considered cults.

Correct me if I'm wrong with that.

Anyway, don't compare sororities and fraternities with the cults. If a said fraternity or sorority is formed for the same reason as cults, then they're obviously cults indeed.

Rizalism

One of the most known considered cult in the Philippines is the Rizalism. Rizalista is the common name used to call for the believers of the said religion.

I had introduced Dr. Jose Rizal in two of my articles here in the blog. (You can read about him in Jose Rizal - as Jack the Ripper.)

According to a website, Rizalista is any local cult believing in the divinity of Jose Rizal. They commonly believe that he is still alive and will return to deliver his followers from poverty and oppression.[1] They considered him as the God, or the second him, or the Filipino Jesus Christ. Rizalist cults, such as the Ciudad Mistica de Dios, Adamista, Bathalismo, Watawat ng Lahi (Banner of the Race Church), Iglesia Sagrada Flilipina, and Espiritual Pilipino Catholic Church, synthesize Roman Catholic rituals.[2] They are also registered groups.

Some of the Rizalistas believed that Rizal has an apparent parallelism to Jesus Christ in many ways. Other's belived that Rizal is the messiah of the Philippines just like Jesus Christ as messiah of Israel. There were also those who believed that Rizal was the re-incarnation of Christ. These beliefs of the groups were based on the similarities of the two. They said that both of them were morally upright and exemplary in their own rights, they possess extraordinary character and have the purest intention in pursuing their missions. Also, they were both pious and Asians, and both from a country under colonial rule during their time. Also, the two were advocates of solidarity, equality and peaceful coexistence in spite of differences in social status, ethnicity and creed. and many more, such as, they were both healers and great visionaries, they advocate of reform and peaceful means to carry out their missions, strongly denounced prejudice, apathy, immorality and cruelty. They were also victims of trial and mockery, their teachings influence people around the world and most importantly, they were executed by their enemy and died for a noble cause.[2]

The Rizalistas are not an urban legend. I just include them here for informational reason.

Cultic Urban Legend: Cavite Killing Cult

This legend was more popular in Cavite. Legend has it that there was this dangerous cult roaming at night. If they, by chance, see your slippers or other footwear (pair or even one) outside the door, they'll chant a myterious spell of hypnotism on it, making you go outside (some say, they will steal it, and find the owner). Then, they will slash your neck and kill you with a bolo or the reaping tool or the like.

There was another version of this, they said, they will count the pairs of footwear, and they will kill the owners of those one by one.

In effect, many people feared to let their footwears outdoor. I don't know the reason why they do this crime, perhaps a kind of killing ritual or a sacrifice.

[Taken from Internet:]

1. Residents are warned not to leave their belongings (slippers, shoes, umbrella, etc.) outside the house. According to people there, cult members do some incantation/prayers over these objects and whoever owns these would then open the door of their house (as if in a spell) to let these weirdos in. They would subsequently behead the person who opened the door and bring the head with them. 2. Last Nov. 1, 4 persons were allegedly seen going around Soldiers' Hills Phase 1 with black hoods over their heads and carrying the (think the usual symbol of Death). These creeps had children following behind them singing some strange song. The person who saw them didn't pay much attention thinking that they may just be on their way to a Halloween party or something. However, she freaked out the next day when someone told her that this group went to this house and who would have probably added to their list of victims had the maid of the house not refused to open the door for them.

I think the 'usual symbol of death' the author is talking about is the Scythe, the mowing tool the Grim Reaper always carry.

The rumor above is actually the reason of the warning I just said. I was actually living in Cavite that time, and I don't remember any case or real-life news detailing an incident with the same crime.

One of our readers said that this cult is true. (S)He is a pure-blooded Caviteno, as what (s)he said. His/Her grandfather saw the cult, and (s)he even prove that (s)he knew one of the cult member killed in Anabu, Imus, Cavite because they tried to kill a little kid.[a]

I asked my classmates of their opinion with this urban legend. There's two things they agreed: that this killing cult might be a satanist or people with 666 mark on them. It's obvious they'll likely think like that, because there's no such good religion that kills innocent individuals without any acceptable reason.

There was one urban legend in US about a peculiar fraternity rite in which a new-comer will amputate a woman's leg as part of the ritual. Could it be just a fraternity rite instead of a cult? But I think it's too exaggerated to behead somebody just to join the group.

They actually remind me of the three-hooded ghosts - the kumakatok. I don't know why. I'm still in question of how these ghosts became like them. They just knock on your door with a warning that someone will die, and nothing more.

Cultic Urban Legend: Saboy-Asido Cult

There's another urban legend which is much popular in Metro Manila than in any other part of the country, but I don't know much about them. I call them Saboy-Asido Cult. It's about a cult (other say a 'fraternity') in which one of there ritual is to spray or throw corrosive liquid substance on the face of the person (some say it's not specifically in the face, just in the person) inside or in the window from ouside the jeepney.

I actually doubted with the said urban legend. There was another story, about an individual person they called Boy Asido (Acid Boy).

[Taken from Internet:[4]]

. . . People were scared that Boy Asido would just come up to them and splash acid on their face. From what I remember, Boy Asido really did exist, but he was not this deranged guy who went around disfiguring and blinding people for the heck of it, he really had splashed someone's face with acid, his lover with whom he had quarreled.

Cultic Urban Legend: Sexual Rite of Cultists

Have you heard cults performing sex ritual on their worship ceremony? Well, I've once heard a case in GMA Channel 7 Imbestigador, about a religious group using this sacrament, especially with minor-aged girls. They demolished the said group, and filed a lawsuit against the leader for child abuse.

There was a rumor I heard about another cult that abducts kids or any woman which will be used for this 'religious sexual rite'. They even named this sect a 'satanist' cult. Accordingly, the said cult became wide spread nationwide (they were even reported in tabloids) and just die down for one reason - they are not real.

By the way, is there such thing as Sexual Rite?

The answer is a big YES. Indeed, there is. It is called Hieros Gamos.

Then, what is it? Well, Hieros Gamos derived from the Greek words meaning sacred marriage. It rooted from an ancient fertility cult, then it evolved to a highly developed spiritual discipline that enabled a man to attain gnosis, through ritualized sexual union with a woman trained as a priestess. The theory is based on the philosophy that man is fundamentally incomplete and can reach divinity only by marrying the feminine principles in a spiritual and physical manner, which triggers an altered state of consciousness at the moment of climax. It can also be attributed to Hermaphrodite symbol, which was according to Greek mythology, he is the son of Aphrodite and Hermes.[4] (Find his story yourself, of how he became both male and female.)

The Church of Carmel is the known movement wherein a genuine attempts of gnostic branch of Catholicism through incorporation of sexual rite and tenets of Priory of Sion can be found. It was established by Eugene Vintras in early 1840s. However, the belief of making sex a sacrament led to accusation of satanism against them. They put Vintras into jail charging him with false fraud. As he was released, another priest accused him of promoting sexual orgies. Then in 1948, the Pope declared them heretics and all of them were excommunicated.[4]

The Brothers of Christian Doctrine is another movement where Hieros Gamos and Priory of Sion can be found.[4]

I suggest you to watch the movie or read the book The Da Vinci Code. This ritual was mentioned, and was shown in a scene where the young Sophie saw her grandfather doing this in a secret chamber while the other members were praying and watching him perform the ritual with a priestess.

Note: Try pointing your cursor on the underlined words or letters for an additional information or definition.

Sources:
[1]http://www.faithology.com/community/topic/2563-rizalists-or-rizalista/
[2]http://en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Rizalista
[3]http://www.pinoyexchange.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12173 | By: Moiraine | Posted: Feb 9, 2000 09:37 PM
[4]Cracking the Da Vinci Code. Simon Cox. 2004. ISBN 1-84317-103-1. Published in Great Britain.
Encarta® World English Dictionary©
Image Source:
http://www.bilderberg.org/3DGREPT2.JPG

Someone's in the Backseat

Some urban legends came from a real-life experience of a true person. When somebody started to spread it, those people who usually hear it will change the original either intentional or unintentional. Unintentional in a way that they may had forgotten some of the details. Intentional because the tale teller added something to make it much more interesting. Obviously, that's how gossips circulate too.

The 'natural crime' themed urban legends, compared to others, have a great possibility that they might had originated from a fact. Stories of how a serial killer slay someone or when they usually attack becomes urban legend, well as a warning to everyone. If you had read the article here entitled The White Van and Green Van, you will notice how it greatly affects the mind of the public. That's one notable example of an urban legend that might had derived from a real-life story.

Anyway, the urban legend were about to confer is a story which is comparable to a foreign urban legend with a title, Killer in the Backseat.

Story

[Brunvand Version (1981):[1]]

A woman living in the city [Salt Lake] was visiting some friends in Ogden. When she got into her car in front of this friend's house, she noticed that a car started up right behind her car. It was about 2:00 in the morning, and there weren't any other cars on the road. After she had driven to the highway, she began to think that this car was following her. Some of the time he would drive up real close to her car, but he wouldn't ever pass. She was really scared to death and kept speeding to try to get away from him. When she got to Salt Lake, she started running stop lights to get away from him, but he would run right through them too. So when she got to her driveway she pulled in really fast, and this guy pulled in right behind her. She just laid on the horn, and her husband came running out. Just then, the guy jumped out of the car, and her husband ran over and said, "What the hell's goin' on here?" So he grabbed the guy, and his wife said, "This man's followed me all the way from Ogden." The man said, "I followed your wife because I was going to work, and as I got into my car, I noticed when I turned my lights on, a man's head bob down in her back seat." So the husband went over to her backseat, opened the door, and pulled this guy from out of the backseat.

Here's the Philippine version of the urban legend.

[Taken from Internet:[2]]

A man was driving alone along a dark road in the middle of the night (some say it is Balete, others do not specify). He noticed another car behind him. Nothing strange there. But after a while, he noticed that the car was still there and seemed to be following him. To be sure, he took a series of turns. But the car was on his tail, what more he kept on flashing the headlights. The guy decided to stop the car and confront the driver. The driver of the car that was following him immediately got off his car white-faced. "Pare, kanina pa kita pinatatabi kasi merong babae sa likuran ng kotse mo na may dalang kutsilyo na tinututok sayo. Pero nung nag-flash ako ng headlight biglang nawala." Pare, I've been trying to tell you to stop because I saw a girl at your back pointing a knife at you. But I flashed my headlights, then it vanished suddenly. Note: Pare - buddy; pal

Information

I included a version of Jan Brunvand's because it's one of the oldest and most original recount of the legend.

The killer in the backseat urban legend is actually one of the common legends in United States and United Kingdom. Carlos Drake, a folklorist, is the first one who noted it in 1968.

All the versions of it have one similar flow of story. The Snopes.com enumerated the variation.

According to the said website, the story might originally been prompted by a real news. In 1964, in New York, one murderer escaped from the jail. He hid in the backseat of a car which belongs to a police detective. The police then shot the escaped murderer.

The story always have three main characters: the car driver who is supposed to be the victim; the hero/heroine who warns the car driver; and the killer/madman in the backseat. Versions just differ in settings (E.g. gas station and in the road).

Actually, I don't know how it came here in the Philippines. One story of it even includes the name of Ms. Korina Sanchez. Fortunately, someone debunk the story and now people accepted it as false.


I entitled the article Someone's in the Backseat, because here in the Philippines, its not only killers who hides or intrudes the backseat but also the ghosts. Funny, but I found stories like that.

Back Seat Passenger[3] By: DarK_eYes_Mikko This happened to me when I was working as a salesman covering the South Luzon area during October of 1996. After a full day's work with my distributor, I was driving alone around 11 p.m. from Batangas City to Manila. I had the radio on and was cruising over the part of the highway right after the Bauan shortcut. I usually get goose bumps when I pass that area and that night was no different. I suddenly smelled sampaguita and burning candle wax in the car. I don't have a car freshener because my wife's allergic to them. The hair on the back of my neck stood and my head felt like it was getting bigger. I tried not to mind it but when I glanced at the rear view mirror, I caught a glimpse of a shadowy figure in the back seat. I looked at the road in front before glancing again at the rear view mirror to make sure there was really someone (or something) there. Knowing that I could get into an accident if I panic, I calmed myself. I don't scare easily but I am cautious. I told the being to spare me and to not startle me because I feared getting into an accident. I told it that my kids were waiting for me at home. I then recited the Our Father and Hail Mary prayers. After the Amen, the figure vanished. The heaviness in my head went away. I stopped at the nearest 24-hour gas station to collect my wits. There,the night manager and several gas boys asked why I was so pale and shaken. I told them what happened. They revealed to me that that dark stretch of road I just passed was the scene of many accidents - from people ran over by big trucks and speeding cars to collisions between cars. Several motorists have reported to have had shadowy passengers in their vehicles. Some survivors of accidents even said that the ghostly back seat passenger started them, causing them to get into their accidents. The store manager and the gas boys advised me to stay a couple of minutes before resuming my journey. I waited for an hour before driving off. Nowadays, I avoid going home alone late from Batangas.

Sources:
[1]http://www.snopes.com/horrors/madmen/backseat.asp
[2]http://spoonlagoon.blogspot.com/2008/09/pinoy-urban-legends-20.html
[3]True Philippine Ghost Stories Book 8. 2004. PSICOM Publishing Inc. ISBN 971-0372-06-8. Quezon City, Philippines.
Image Source:
http://th02.deviantart.net/fs70/200H/f/2013/289/1/a/killer_in_the_backseat_by_blade_fury-d6qptpa.jpg

Spolarium

Songs are created by song writers to express their feelings, to tell their stories, and to say their disappointments for something. All of the songs are meaningful - they may expressly or impliedly say something from within.

One of our viewers suggested a topic to me through e-mail. She asked me to create an article of a song with a hidden meaning on it, or backmasking. I became interested, so I begun searching songs with hidden meanings. There were many, but only one caught my attention - the Spolarium of Eraserheads.

The Song

The song Spolarium was written and performed by the Eraserheads, and was included in their album - Sticker Happy. The song was allegedly hiding something puzzling behind the poetical lyrics. People who hear it might not understand instantly what was in there if they don't know the story. On the other hand, people may also misunderstood the song if not gently inspected and studied.

Now, let's have the lyrics of the said song.

[Taken from Internet:[1]]

Spolarium By: Eraserheads Dumilim ang paligid May tumawag sa pangalan ko Labing isang palapag Tinanong kung okay lang ako Sabay abot ng baso May naghihintay At bakit ba pag nagsawa na ako Biglang ayoko na At ngayon di pa rin alam Kung ba’t tayo nandito Pwede bang itigil muna ang pagikot ng mundo Lumiwanag ang buwan San Juan 'Di ko na masasakyan Ang lahat ng bagay ay gumuguhit na lang sa 'king lalamunan Ewan mo at ewan natin Sinong may pakana At bakit ba tumilapon ang gintong alak dyan sa paligid mo At ngayon 'di pa rin alam Kung ba’t tayo nandito Pwede bang itigil muna ang pagikot ng mundo Umiyak ang umaga Anong sinulat ni Enteng at Joey dyan Sa gintong salamin 'Di ko na mabasa Pagkat merong nagbura ahhh… Ewan mo at ewan natin Sinong may pakana At bakit ba tumilapon ang spolarium dyan sa paligid mo? At ngayon di pa rin alam Kung bakit tayo nandito Pwede bang itigil muna, ang pagikot ng mundo Pwede bang itigil muna, ang pagikot ng mundo Pwede bang itigil muna, ang pagikot nga mundo

Spolarium By: Eraserheads The surroundings dimmed Someone called my name Eleven(th) floor(s) And asked if I was okay While handing me a glass Someone was waiting And why is it when I’ve had enough Suddenly I don’t want it anymore And now, I still have no idea Why we're here Can we please just stop the earth from revolving The moon shone San Juan I may not be able to ride (on it) Everything is just drawing a line (trailing) across my throat You don’t know and we don’t know Who did it And why did the golden liquor spill all around you. And now I still have no idea Why we are here Can we please stop just for now, the world from revolving The morning cried What did Enteng and Joey write In the golden mirror I can’t read anymore Cause someone erased it ahh… You don’t know and we don’t know Who did it Why did the spolarium spill all around you? And now I still have no idea Why we are here Can we stop it for now, the world from revolving Can we stop it for now, the world from revolving Can we stop it for now, the world from revolving

Meaning of Terms

The title Spolarium (misspelled from the real term Spoliarium) was actually a 19th century painting of our hero - Juan Luna. The painting is now displayed in the Malacanang Palace. It depicts a picture of a scene in a Roman Coliseum with soldiers dragging cadavers of gladiator out of it. The painting signifies the death or absence of freedom or the lost of hope of a country.

The Spoliarium, in Latin, is a word referring to the basement of the Roman Colosseum where the fallen and dying gladiators are dumped and devoid of their worldly possessions.[3]

Other than that, there were also other obvious words in the song that might imply something important.

According to a website[1], these are the words he considered are important facts of the song.

San Juan
This might refer to a place. The verse 'Di ko na masasakyan (I may not be able to ride on it.) might tell you a clue of a jeepney routing to the place named San Juan.

The word gumuguhit
Gumuguhit came from the simple verb guhit which means to draw. However, the song didn't really mean to draw. Gumuguhit is actually a kind of feeling - sensing something sharp that trails accross your throat, especially if you're drinking a liquor.

Enteng and Joey
Enteng is a name presumed to be Vic Sotto, as it was his name in his popular fantasy movie, Enteng Kabisote. And Joey is Joey De Leon. They are two famous comedic icons in Philippine entertainment scene, or more appropriate mass culture. (You can still watch them every noon of Monday to Saturday on Eat Bulaga in GMA Channel 7.)

The Alleged Story

Some people said that the song was actually telling us the story of Pepsi Paloma who was said to be a rape victim. They said, the rapist was Vic Sotto, Joey de Leon and Richie D'Horsie.

She was given a liquor till drunk. When her consciousness was lost, she was raped.

The case happened in 1982. Joey de Leon along with Vic Sotto and Richie D'Horsie made headlines when underaged actress Pepsi Paloma accused the trio of gang raping her. The case was settled out of court and the trio made a public apology to Paloma. According to Pepsi Paloma, it was mainly Tito Sotto who coerced her to sign the affidavit of desistance to throw out the filing of the rape case, which is punishable by death penalty at that time. Justice was stopped from moving when the comedians humbly made a public apology to the judge to where they admitted to the crime committed to the starlet. Paloma committed suicide by hanging herself afterwards in 1985, due to the trauma she experienced from the hands of the comedians.[2]

There were rumors that Pepsi didn't actually committed suicide, instead she was killed to stop her from testifying in court.

As the Spolarium resembles an absence of freedom, Pepsi's death indicates the absence of justice.

The True Story

It wasn't actually about the case of Pepsi Paloma. Yes, the story of the song did happen, but wasn't connected to the prior sad story.

In fact, it was telling us about how a drinking spree started.

It was evening, Ely Buendia was about to go home. Then he was called out by somebody in the eleventh floor of a condo in San Juan (particulary in Unit 1108 of that condominium). He was asked if he's alright (as it was our habit, saying Kamusta? or How are you?). Somebody hand him a glass of liquor. He stayed there till morning.

The gintong alak (golden liquor) is a Goldshlagger. Enteng was one of the Eraserheads' roadies that time; Joey a.k.a. Cowpunk, a classmate of Raims, was a member of the Eraserheads' posse. Thus, the song didn't have any connection with Vic Sotto as Enteng and Joey as Joey de Leon. What the two wrote using their hands in the mirror was Ely's true name but slightly erased. So he can't read it properly.

Last Updated: April 08, 2014

Source:
[1] http://aragonasten.wordpress.com/2008/06/29/spolarium-by-eraserheads/
[2] http://www.istorya.net/forums/general-discussions/550586-pepsi-paloma-and-meaning-behind-song-spolarium-eraserheads.html
[3] http://www.nationalmuseum.gov.ph/nationalmuseumbeta/Collections/Spoliarium.html

Daisy

Haunted houses are made when they have a dark past in which the ghost still haunts. Those ghosts might seek for revenge to his/her captor, and they might be jealous to the living.

I found a story in a book about a 1950s house in Cavite wherein a ghost of a young lady still haunts and scares his neighbors through her sad moaning.

[Taken from The Sound of Fear by Gabby Libarios]

.... Built during the 1950s, it was a baronial house belonging to the landed gentry of Cavite. Bathe in opulence and grandeur, the house was not only meant for residence. It was also a place for grand celebrations, where the cultured, the educated, and the toast of the town converged to partake of joyous merrymaking that lasted until the wee hours. Some townsfolk would suggest that the festivities held there were always of grand scale. Music spilled into the streets, wine flowed like water, and all the lights switched on, making the house look ablaze from afar. However boisterous and pompous the celebration were, people in the surrounding area regarded the house as their temporary escape, which offered them an experience - albeit vicariously - what it was like the charmed life. But as always, there was another side of the story, especially if no one alive could attest to the house's history, which, over the years, has become a mix of truth and untruth passed around by word of mouth. Some people would say that it was the hiding place of powerful drug lord. Other would suggest that it was a hotbed of vice, where the high rollers and card sharks gamble their riches, sometimes life and limb, all in the name of money. Just the same, the houses had nothing but notoriety. But among the lies and fabricated tales, there was always one story that kept the house's history interesting, horrifying, and sad all at the same time. It was the story of the Santos family. Despite their wealth, which came from the father's successful mining company, the sons and daughters were taught to lead a simple, low key life. Every morning, the father would read the paper and drink his coffee on the veranda. The mother, who always wore melancholic smile, would tend their garden, quietly pruning the plants and pulling out the weed sprouts, while the kids, except the eldest who was always in her room, would run around the garden. Named after a flower, Daisy had always been quiet and reserved. She would spend most of her time inside her room, carefully thumbing through her dog-eared books by classic authors. Oftentimes, she would just sit in front of her dresser and comb he long black hair for hours. If the weather permitted, she would linger on her balcony and relish the crisp, fresh air summer. Their neighbors would say that sometimes they would hear Daisy singing from the balcony. Her voice is so lovely, they would say. On days when Daisy would accompany her mother to church, people would always notice her. Some say Daisy was the most beautiful girl in town. In fact, her mother's friends never failed to compliment her, however inadequately or too informally clothed she was. Boys, on the other hand, simply gawked at her presence. Little did Daisy know that her beauty, which held so much power, would soon be her curse. Barely a month after her 18th birthday, Daisy was brutally raped and murdered. The crime happened when the rest of the family was out for an afternoon mass. Her lifeless body was found in the backyard. Her clothes were ripped, blood dripping between her legs. Investigations said she was in her room when her attacker barged in. Bruises on her stomach and legs suggested she was beaten first. Loose black hair found on the floorboards near her bedroom indicated that the rapist dragged Daisy by the hair out of her room before committing the heinous crime. Despite the thorough investigation, the culprit was never found. Some say it was Daisy's spurned lover. Others say it was their house help who always harbored feelings for Daisy. The family eventually moved out and never returned. Although there were the occasional visits from real estate agents, no one had ever taken interest in the house since then. Though it was relegated to a mere urban legend, Daisy's death still echoes in that little town in Cavite. Legend has it that every night, the sound of a weeping young girl can be heard from the house. ....

Source(s):
True Philippine Ghost Story Book 15

Note(s): The picture depicted above is not the actual picture.

Tiniente Gimo, the First Aswang

Why did I forgot this famous tale from Iloilo? It was so long since I started my blog, but then I forgot to make an article about Tiniente Gimo. I heard about him in my childhood days, of course, from my grand parents.

Who is Tiniente Gimo

He was called Tiniente (Spanish word which means Lieutenant) because he was actually a Tiniente del Barrio, or what Filipinos, in the present day, refer as the Barangay Chairman, of Dueñas in Iloilo. He may also be a leader of the family of Aswang from which he acquired the title.

Because of the legend about him, many stories made him a antagonist as the blood-sucking villain, a leader of a group and/or clan of Aswangs. Perhaps, the effect of this tales created a bad image to every people, and versions of his story was created.

Actually, there were stories from internet that tell about the experience of their grandparents in his village, that they were certain they were ghoul-vampires, and many more.

The Story

One of the teniente's daughters studied in a university in the city. During a break, this daughter invited two of her classmates to come to her hometown for a visit. The young ladies agreed, excited at the prospect of going to a town they had never visited before. They were greeted with enthusiasm by the teniente's family and as was customary in the Philippines, a small party was prepared. The lady visitors were fed and entertained. As the night grew deeper, one of the young ladies asked (let's call her Juana) what the sleeping arrangements would be. Gimo's daughter said that the visitors would be sharing a room with her. And so off to bed they went. Because they were in a small town, no big beds were available so they all agreed to sleep on mats on the floor. Juana slept in the middle, tucked in between Gimo's daughter and their friend. The two girls soon drifted off to sleep but Juana found that tired as she was, she just couldn't bring herself to sleep. Filipinos refer to this feeling as 'namamahay', which is when your body and mind are still in the process of adjusting to a new environment and thus cannot perform a certain routine. This was what prevented Juana from sleeping. It was also what kept her alive. The party went on outside even as the night deepened but to Juana, instead of fading away, the noise just seemed to get a little bit louder. She heard more people coming, being greeted, there were sounds of suppressed laughter, soft giggles and whispers. "Must be the party for tomorrow," she thought. "They're really throwing a big one." Since she couldn't sleep anyway, Juana decided to get up and take a peek at the activities through the window. When she lifted the cover, what she saw stirred fear in her heart. On the clearing not far from the house, people were gathered together in a circle – a few women were busy cutting spices and vegetables, some men were talking and drinking while others were sharpening knives. There were children as well. And there, through the shrubs, more people were coming. In the middle of the circle was a fire and over the fire was a larger-than-usual iron cauldron. If these people were going to cook, they were going to cook something big – bigger than a full-grown chicken or a goat. Just then, Juana heard Teniente Gimo's voice just on the other side of the wall, talking to another man. "So which one is it?" the man asked. "The one in the middle and the other one's on the right," Teniente Gimo said. "Okay. I'll bring three or four along in case there's a struggle." "Let's just hit her on the head. Keep her quiet that way." "True." "And bring the sack to carry her with. We'll take care of the other one." Juana didn't need to hear any more just to understand what the two men were discussing. The 'one in the middle' they were referring to was her! The fire and the iron cauldron, all those vegetables and spices the women were preparing, the sack… they intended to butcher her and her friend! Juana's survival instinct kicked in. She debated for a while on whether to wake up her friend or not but the men were coming up the stairs and if her friend woke up suddenly, there's no telling what she would say or do. They could both be in bad trouble if she delayed for another second. Juana hurried back to the sleeping girls on the floor, pushed Gimo's daughter towards the middle, lay on the girl's right and covered everyone's head with the wide blanket. That way, the heads were hidden underneath. She tried to calm herself to prevent from shaking. Soon the door opened slowly and noiselessly. Juana didn't know how many men came for Teniente Gimo's daughter that night. All she felt and heard were soft footsteps, a few whispers and a loud thud as they hit the young girl on the head. They were very quiet, as if they were used to doing what they did. They didn't even wake up her friend, who was sleeping so soundly just an arm's length away from Juana. Teniente Gimo's daughter lay moaning next to her. The men quickly wrapped the bleeding girl in the sack and carried her away. After the men had left the room, Juana got up, tried to wake her friend for the last time, failed and decided to go at it alone. She opened the window across the one facing the clearing where they were presently beating the body inside the sack and carefully but fearfully climbed down. As soon as her bare feet touched solid ground, Juana began to run. She didn't care where she was passing through – all she knew was that the main road was in that direction. She hadn't gotten far when she heard shouts and screams from the group. They had opened the sack and found out the terrible mistake they made. Enraged, Teniente Gimo cried for everyone to check the house, find the girl, THE girl they wanted, she who was supposed to be in the middle, she who was supposed to be in the sack, she who was supposed to be the one they should be prepping tonight, she whose throat they should have slit. Behind her, Juana heard the commotion and simply assumed that people were now climbing the stairs, opening the door to the daughter's room and finding that only one was left behind and the other had run away. It would only be a matter of time before they found out where she was headed. So Juana kept on running over the grass, the rocks, the pebbles that cut her feet, the sharp thorns of the shrubs and the slimy dead things underneath her. But those who were in pursuit of her were men – grown men, men taller than she, with longer legs, with strength stolen from the other men and women they had slaughtered before her poor friend. As the men with the torches began to gain on her, Juana felt panic rise from her legs to her heart, threatening to turn her legs to stone. She could never outrun these men and if she could hide, where? They probably knew this area very well and could find her easily. But right in front of her, a tree stood. It was tall enough but not so tall that she couldn't climb it and it looked strong, with a thick truck and even thicker leaves. Juana had no memory of how she managed to climb the tree that night but there she cowered, shaking, mouthing prayers for the Virgin to protect her, to please not let them see her, hear her, smell her. The voices grew nearer and so did the footfalls. Not only the men came in pursuit. There were a few women as well, some of them holding torches, some gripping a thick tree branch and others, still holding on to the knives they used to cut the onions and the tomatoes. Light from the torches illuminated the branches and the leaves of the tree as the mob passed underneath her. If one of them ever looked up… But no one did. The crowd of angry men and women who tried to come after her came and went. They couldn't find her. A few hours later, which seemed an eternity to Juana, they came back again, walking this time, tired and hungry, their torches fading but they came a few feet away, no longer passing under Juana's tree. Although the crowd had gone, Juana stayed hidden in the tree. She waited for the dark sky to turn gray and very carefully, painfully climbed down. No one was in sight and she was too far away to actually hear anything from where Teniente Gimo's hut stood. Besides, it was morning and if they did party on last night, they would be too full and tired to care today. Juana brushed the thought of her other friend, the one she left behind, away and began to run again, towards the main road. At this point, I no longer remember how Juana got help. Maybe she stopped a passing bus or jeepney or maybe a person with a good soul came across the fearful girl with the wild eyes. But she did get help and she did find her way home, safe and alive. She never went back to the town of Dueñas, not even to see if the tree that saved her life still stood. As for Teniente Gimo and his clan of aswangs, it is said that the incident devastated him. It was his own beloved daughter after all. They packed up and abbandoned their home and moved someplace else. Where he and his family are now is only whispered about and whether they are still hunting and luring human prey, it can only be guessed at. Who knows? They could be in your town.

Another version, which is more brief than the latter, and more known by everyone:

Tiniente Gimo's daughter Maria (not her real name) brought his two friends, Jean and Melay (not also there real names) from the city to visit her hometown and her family. They accepted them warmly and served them with foods, as if there was a celebration. The two loved the food and ask them what kind of dish it is. But they answered them with only a smile. After hours passed full of chattering, they decided to sleep. But because the house is small and there's only one room for everyone, Tiniente Gimo told Maria and her friends to sleep in the bed room, while they will sleep in the living room. Like other girls, when they are together, they don't sleep right away. Maria borrowed the accessories of Jean, and wear them till they went to sleep. Tiniente Gimo targeted Jean that night, and the only thing he could familiarize who among of them is Jean, is her necklace. However, Maria weared the necklace of Jean that time. He sneaked unto the bed room to kill her. He hit the head not knowing it was his daughter, and brought her in the kitchen. He chopped her to pieces, and cooked her in a pot. Tiniente Gimo discovered who he had eaten when morning came. No one knows what happened to Jean and Melay after that. Maybe they lived to tell the story of Tiniente Gimo.

As you notice, both tales almost have similar flow of story. In which, there was these two women, who were friends of the daughter of Tiniente Gimo, came in the province with her for vacation or the like, and was killed by the tiniente or his whole clan. Some sources tell that they were teachers from a school, not students. Aside of it, the movie Shake, Rattle and Roll, potrayed by Manilyn Reynes, had almost the same story as above.

Conclusions

Many reasonable explanations emerged about the legend of Tiniente Gimo. One is about his political career. His enemy invented a kind of story that rose people's fear.

Another is about the kind of disease they called Dystonia de Panay (scientifically named torsion dystonia-parkinsonism), Ilonggo called it Lubag. This is a rare musco-skeletal disease found only in Panay, in which the victim will be twist involuntarily. Maybe, the appearance of them in this position made them look like an Aswang, and this might be Tiniente Gimo's disease that time. This same reason can be used to explain the Aswang.

Source:
http://jeminastories.blogspot.com/2008/09/tiniente-gimo.html
http://iloilocityboy.blogspot.com

Jeepney Warning Stories

Jeepneys are the most popular means of public transportation in the Philippines. They were originally made from US military jeeps left over from World War II and are known for their flamboyant decoration and crowded seating. They have become a ubiquitous symbol of Philippine culture.

The word jeepney is a portmanteau of "jeep" and "Jitney".

While most are used as public utility vehicles, jeepneys used as a personal vehicle have their tailgate attached, known in the Philippines as "For family use", originating from the sign painted on them. Jeepneys are used less often for commercial or institutional use.

So, let's talk about some criminal stories dealing with this vehicle. The stories shown below are the most widely spread stories of all. Well, I doubt the credibility of these, though all of them may had happened once. But I can't find any articles in news papers or if it had been featured in television shows.

Story

[Taken from Internet:]

I want to share this story for you all to be aware while having their trip. Si Ana, Student ng PUP, ay pauwi na. Sumakay siya ng Jeep. Apat lang sila na nasa loob ng jeep; Yung driver, si Ana, isang matandang lalake at isang nursing student. Si ANA, nakaupo sa dulo ng jeep, right side, malapit sa babaan. Yung matandang lalake, nakaupo sa left side, likuran ng driver. Then yun nursing student, nakasandal sa matandang lalake, nakalaglag yun buhok sa mukha, tulog ata. Umandar na yung jeep. After 5mins. May sumakay na matandang babae. Umupo sya sa harap nung matandang lalake at nung nursing student. Umandar ulit yung jeep. Wala pang 10mins, pumara yung matandang babae, and on her way down sa jeep, pinipilit nyang bumaba si Ana. Sabi nya: “BABA!” On a not shouting but medyo galit na way. ANA: “Bakit po?” Matandang Babae: “Basta baba!” Hinahatak nya ang damit ni Ana pababa, while saying “sabing baba eh!” dahil sa takot, bumaba si Ana.. Pagkaandar ng jeep, Ana asked the old woman.. ANA: “Bakit po ba?” Matandang Babae: “Hindi mo ba napansin?” ANA: “Alin po?” Matandang Babae: “Nangingitim na ‘yung mga kuko nung babae!” ANA: “Ano po ibig nyong sabihin?” MB: “Patay na yung babae! Sinaksak ng Ice pick nun lalake!” *Kapag daw ice pick ang ginamit pangsaksak, di daw lalabas ang dugo dahil maliit lang ang ice pick, sa loob daw mamumuo yung dugo, magkakaron ng blood clot.* Hindi pa nag sink in kay Ana yung sinabi nun matandang babae, until napanood nya sa news. Swerte ni Ana dahil may malasakit yung matandang babae sa kanya, dahil diba, pwede naman umalis yun MB kahit hindi kasama si Ana. It means, di pa oras ni Ana. Ang nakakaawa is yung nursing student. Sobrang swerte ni Ana. Puzzle pa rin sa’min what’s the real story behind that. Kasi sabi daw sa news,di daw hinold up yun nursing student, kaya hindi alam ang reason kung bakit sya pinatay. ngayon si Ana, lagi daw tulala at lutang. Tahimik palagi. Sus, kahit kanino naman siguro mangyari yun magkakaganon diba? Kaya sa mga commuters dyan, be aware sa mga nakakatabi nyo sa byahe, laging mag iingat and be observant. Be Safe and Never removed your eyes from the people you saw inside any public transportation. You will never know that one of them may hurt you for no reason. Enjoy the trip and always remember to pray for your safety. (SHARE IF YOU CARE)

I want to share this story for you all to be aware while having their trip. Ana, a student of PUP (Polytechnic University of the Philippines), was about to go home. She took a jeep for a ride. They are four inside it - the driver, her, an old man, and a nursing student. She take a seat at the right side near the passage door of the vehicle. The old man seated at the left side near the driver. Then, the nursing student was leaning on the old man with her hair covering her face, as if she's asleep. The jeep was running now. Then, after 5 minutes, an old woman took a ride on it. She seated on front of the old man and the nursing student. And the jeep ran again. 10 minutes after, the old woman told the driver that she wanna go out, and on her way down the jeep, she forced Ana too to go down with her. She said on a not shouting but angry way, "Go out!". Ana: "But why?" Old woman: "Just go out!" She pulled Ana's clothes forcing her to go down while saying, "I said go out!" Because of fright, Ana followed the old woman. When the jeep leave, Ana asked her. Ana: "Why did we went down?" Old woman: "Haven't you noticed?" Ana: "The what?" Old woman: "The girl's nails were becoming black!" Ana: "What do you mean?" Old woman: "The girl was already dead. The old man stabbed her with an ice pick!" When you use ice pick to stab someone, the blood will not ooze out of the wound because the ice pick is so small. The blood will only clot in the body. Still, what the old woman had said did not sink in on Ana's mind, till she watched it on a news in TV. Ana was lucky, that the old woman has concern on her. The old woman can just go down without telling her what's happening. It only mean, it's not already Ana's time to die. But the most pitiful is the condition of the nursing student. Ana was very lucky. It's still puzzling to us what was actually the real story behind that. Because according to the news, the nursing student wasn't been robbed, thus the reason was still unknown. Now, Ana always act stupidly, and often silent. Well, whoever might experience that will eventually be like that. So, to all the commuters there, be aware who's beside you, be careful, and be observant. Be Safe and Never removed your eyes from the people you saw inside any public transportation. You will never know that one of them may hurt you for no reason. Enjoy the trip and always remember to pray for your safety. (SHARE IF YOU CARE)

[Taken from Internet:]

Hindi ako makapaniwalang may mga tao talagang handang pumatay para lang makuha yung mga materyal na bagay na gusto nila o siguro dala na ng desperasyon kung paano makakatawid ng gutom. Kwinento sakin ‘to nung kaibigan ko kanina: Papunta sila ng kaibigan niya sa CEU kahapon para sunduin yung isa pa nilang kaibigan. Sumakay sila ng jeep sa may bandang Ortigas. Pagsakay nila, konti lang yung mga pasaherong nakasakay. Mag-jowang magkayakap, isang matandang babae, sila, tapos yung driver. Sa may bandang likod sila nakaupo. Yung mag-jowa yung nasa may bandang unahan ng jeep. Nakasandal si ate kay kuya na parang natutulog tapos si kuya nakayakap kay ate. Yung matandang babae naman nasa may bandang gitna. Inaabot na nung kaibigan ko yung bayad niya dun sa lalaki pero hindi siya pinapansin kaya yung matandang babae na lang yung nagabot ng bayad. Yung matandang babae din yung nagabot ng sukli sa kanila. Napansin na din nila nung mga oras na yun na ang sama ng tingin ng driver sa kanila. So medyo nagtataka na din sila. Mayamaya, biglang sinabi sa kanila nung matandang babae na bumaba na sila. So lalo silang naguluhan kung saan mas matatakot. Sa manong driver na masama yung tingin o sa aleng bigla na lang nagyayayang bumaba ng jeep. Hindi na din sila nagisip tapos bumaba na sila ng jeep. Pagkababa nila ng jeep, sinabi sa kanila nung matandang babae kung bakit. Buti na lang daw hindi sila nagtanong kung bakit. Sabi nung matandang babae patay na daw yung babaeng nasa jeep. Hindi daw mag-jowa yung dalawa. Kaya nakasandal si ate kay kuya tsaka nakayakap si kuya kay ate kasi may nakasaksak kay ate na ice pick. Kaya hindi din inaabot ni kuya yung bayad. Napansin din daw ni ale na medyo nangingitim na yung bandang leeg ni ate. Kaya din daw siguro masama yung tingin ni manong driver sa kanila kasi baka binabalaan na din silang bumaba. Nakakatakot lang kung iisipin mong isa ka sa mga nakasakay sa jeep na yun. Sobrang nakakatakot. Sa panahon ngayon, hindi ka na talaga makakasigurado kung sino yung mapagkakatiwalaan mo tsaka kung hanggang kelan na lang yung buhay mo. Nakakatakot na, lalo na kapag gabi. Kaya paalala lang sa mga madalas bumyahe sa gabi, mag-ingat. Hangga’t maaari, maghanap ng kasama. Tsaka wag kalimutang magdasal. Hindi mo man akalain pero malaki ang impact niyan. Ingat! -A student from AB Pol Sci. (UST)

I can't believe there are people who are ready to kill just to get material things they want, or ... because of desperation on how to overcome hunger. This story was told to me by my friend: They were on the way to CEU (Centro Escolar University) to fetch their other friend. They ride in a jeep around Ortigas. As they went inside, there were only few passengers. Lovers who happened to be embracing that time, an old woman, they, and the driver. They decided to sit at the back near the door way of the jeepney. While the lovers were sitting at the front near the driver. Ate* was leaning on to his shoulder, as if she's sleeping, while Kuya* was embracing her. And the old woman was sitting in the middle of the seat. My friend was offering our fair to the guy to give it to the driver, but he just ignore us, instead the old woman reach it for us. And it was also the old woman who reach the change of our payment. At that time, they noticed the bad stare of the driver to them. So they wonder why. A few minutes passed, the old lady told them that they should go out of the jeep now. So they became more confused on to whom they will be scared - to the driver or to the old lady who wanted us to go out. They don't put attention on thinking about it, they just followed what the old lady told them. As they were outside, the old lady told them the reason. Luckily, they didn't asked why while they're still inside. The old lady said that the girl there was already dead. The two were not lovers. The reason why Ate was leaning to Kuya, and why he embraced her is because there was an ice pick already plugged on her. That's also the reason why he didn't reach their payment. She also noticed that her neck was blackening. The same reason why the driver look very bad on them warning us to go out. It was very frightening to think if you're one of the passengers on that jeep. It was sooo scary! At this time, you're not certain who you'll gonna trust and when your life will last. It was fearful especially if it happens at night. So... To all of you who travels at night, BE CAREFUL! If possible, find someone to be with. And don't forget to pray. You'll never notice what its effect, but it has a huge impact on you. BE CAREFUL! -A student from AB Pol Sci. (UST) * Note: Ate and Kuya, even translated in English as Sister and Brother, Filipino also use it to address elder strangers - female and male respectively.

[Taken from Internet:]

Kanina nagkwento yung classmate ko sa nangyari sakanya kagabi. Pumunta kasi sila ng tita niya sa Junction. Pero umuna na siya ng uwi kasi may allergy siya saka papasok pa nga siya kinabukasan. Sumakay daw siya sa jeep, nung una. Dalawa lang sila. Siya saka daw isang babae. (Maganda tas maputi saka medyo mayaman tignan. bata pa daw, mga 17-19) Tapos, may sumakay daw na dalawang lalaki. Pinagitnaan yung babae na nasa harap niya. Tas ginigitgit daw, eh samantalang apat lang naman sila sa jeep. Nung medyo nakalayo na sila sa junction, Prumeno daw ng sobra yung jeep tas yung babae, imbis na patagilid, paharap daw naano. Tumama pa daw sa tuhod ng classmate ko yung ulo ng babae. Don na daw siya kinabahan. Tapos, maya maya may sumakay daw na nurse. Tapos nung magbabayad na dawyung nurse, napatingin yung nurse don sa 3 sa kabilang side. Nilapitan daw siya ng nurse tapos pinilit siyang bumaba. Sumama nalang yung classmate ko kasi daw mukhang takot na takot yung nurse. Nung pagbaba, nagtanong yung classmate ko kung bakit daw sila bumaba, ang sabi ng nurse sa classmate ko. “Hindi mo ba napansin yung babae, patay na? may icepick na nakasaksak sa tagiliran niya. Buti nalang nakita ko agad.” Hindi daw napansin ng classmate ko kasi naktingin siya sa may bintana. Buti nalang sumakay yung nursre tapos napansin agad. kung hindi, baka kung ano na nangyare sa classmate ko. Atleast safe siya, pero kawawa naman yung babae. Ingat tayong lahat!

[Taken from Internet:]

because i can write in filipino just trying my hand at some creative non-fiction in filipino. actually, the core of this is from a story i’ve been told. the details, i just filled in. **** Byahe mahaba nanaman ang pila sa sakayan. tanghaling-tapat at naluluto na ako sa ilalim ng naglalagablab na araw, ngunit tinitiis ko ‘to. kailangan ko itong gawin. kaya pumila ako. nag-abang ako. hinintay kong mapuno ang sasakyan. hindi ako komportable. sino ba naman ang magiging komportable kung higit pa sa talagang kakayanin ng jeep ang pinapasakay? siksikan nanaman. naipit ako sa gitna ng dalawang babae. sa kaliwa, pikit na ang mata. nakatulog na sa kakahintay. kahit anong tulak ko ay hindi siya magising. sana man lang ay umusog pa siya ng konti. hindi rin maayos ang upo ng katabi ko. may kausap siya sa kanyang telepono. hindi ko naman maiintindihan kung bakit kailangan niyang makipagsigawan sa nasa kabilang linya. wala akong intensyong malaman ang kanilang pinagtatalunan, at wala rin akong pakialam. sa harap ko, dalawang magkasintahan. naglalampungan sila, parang walang ibang kasabay sa jeep. sa isang dulo mayroong mag-ina. umiiyak ang bata, marahail sa pagkabalisa niya. marami pang ibang biyahero sa loob, ngunit hindi ko na sila pinansin. kanya-kanya ang bawat pasahero, pareparehong napipilitang ipabahagi ang kanilang sariling espasyo pare sa mga estrangherong walang pakialam at respeto sa personal na lugar. nilunod ko na ang sarili ko sa aking patugtugan, umaasang matapos na agad ang paghihirap na ito. traffic nanaman. may inaayos na tubo sa may kabilang kanto. hindi makausad ang ibang sasakyan. mainit ang ulo ng lahat. tiniis ko na lang ito, umaasang maaayos ito kaagad ng mga mmda, ngunit sa totoo lang, wala namang silang ginagawa para masolusyonan ang problema. hindi talaga maaasahan ang ibang tao. hindi na makapagtiis ang ibang pasahero. isa-isa silang bumaba at onti-unti lumuwag ang jeep. ewan ko ba kung bakit, mas kumportable naman sa loob ng jeep, pero pinili nilang maglakad sa ilalim ng init ng araw. bahala sila. sa wakas, umusad na ang jeep. matagal rin ang hinintay ko. kakaunti na lang kami sa loob ng jeep, yung babae sa telepono, hindi pa rin niya binababa ito, yung babaeng tulog, yung magkasintahan at yung mag-ina. tuloy-tuloy na sana ang jeep ng biglang tinigil ng driver yung sasakyan, at susunod na nangyari ay kinagulat ng lahat sa loob. bumagsak ang babaeng natutulog sa sahig ng jeep, may ice pick na nakasaksak sa likod. hindi ko maalala ang mga sususnod na nangyari. bahagya mga imahe lamang ang pumasok sa isip ko. umiiyak ang bata. humihiyaw ang babae. sinusubukang itago ng lalaki ang malamig na bangkay mula sa kanyang nobya. natataranta ang driver. tumigil ang mundo ko. walang nakakalam kung kailan pa nangyari ang pagsaksak. walang nakakilala sa babae. wala akong maisagot sa pulis sa presinto. kahit anong tanong sa akin ay wala akong masabi. hindi ko tuluyang maintindihan ang tunay na nangyari sa loob jeep na iyon. hindi ko alam kung gusto kong maintindihan. sinundo ako ng aking kaibigan mula sa presinto. walang nagsasalita sa loob ng kotse sa buong byahe. pag-uwi ay dumiretso ako sa kama. inaasahang maitutulog ko na lang ang lahat ng nangyari, umaasang paggising ay . hindi ako makatulog. **** i’m not altogether sure if i’m done with the story. i’m just checking if i still have my writing chops for the non-academics. not entirely sure if i want to pursue this or anything. – jocsbonx @ livejournal

Some of these stories, according to my interviewees, was first published from a university news paper. (I don't know what page in the news paper that story was - Literary or Campus News).

I noticed the similarities between those stories:

Ice Pick
The instrument used to kill the victim.

Girl
The victim is always a girl.

Well, the only thing I can say is, whether these stories really happened or not, it only mean, we should be careful, especially to those commuters who go home at night.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeepney
http://acidpixels.com/blog/philippines/totoo-ba-eto-o-kwentong-barbero/
http://www.facebook.com/FetishisticDesire/posts/315779198491708?comment_id=2678843*
http://www.tristancafe.com/forum/222281*

* One of the sites where you can find the story.