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Citizens of San Juan City celebrate the feast of St. John the Baptist through the Wattah! Wattah! Festival, by dousing each other with water, on June 24, 2024. The San Juan City local government announced they will use three fire trucks instead of the usual fifty in the main parade in solidarity of water conservation due to the El Niño phenomenon. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

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Wattah! Wattah! Festival

Johnson Manabat

ABS-CBN News

A resident of San Juan City filed charges against a motorcycle rider who sprayed a chemical suspected to be muriatic acid during the “Wattah Wattah Festival”.Alex, not his real name, told ABS-CBN News that he filed a complaint before the San Juan City police station on Monday right after the incident.  According to Alex, he was just watching the “Wattah Wattah Festival” when a motorcycle rider passed by their area and sprayed a chemical. “May rider na dumaan tapos bigla niya akong tinalsikan ng muriatic acid…yun nga sir eh, nakatayo lang naman ako sa gilid ewan bakit niya ginawa yun,” Alex said.  <div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/6/24/san-juan-holds-wattah-wattah-festival-1304" id="isPasted">San Juan holds Wattah Wattah festival </a></div> San Juan City police station chief of police PCol. Francis Allan Reglos told ABS-CBN News that the respondent is facing physical injury charges before the city prosecutor’s office.  The suspect was arrested immediately after the incident on Monday but was able to file bail on Wednesday.  “Nandon na yung basaan, dumaan siya - nabasa siya…ginawa nya gumanti sya so pagwisik nung muriatic acid. Yun na may tinamaan,” Reglos said.  In a press conference on Thursday, San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora apologized to all those who felt insulted and victimized by unruly residents during the Wattah Wattah Festival.  “Ako po ay buong pagpapakumbaba sa lahat na naging biktima ng iilang mamayan namin na nanggulo noong panahon ng aming kapistahan…panahon ng aming basaan. Hindi ako papayag na ang imahe ay masira na sisiguraduhin ko na lahat ng yan ay makasuhan upang sila ay matuto ng leksyon dahil sinisira nila ang imahe at ang kapistahan ni San Juan Bautista,” Zamora said.  <div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/6/27/residente-sinabuyan-umano-ng-asido-sa-wattah-wattah-festival-1822" id="isPasted">Residente sinabuyan umano ng asido sa &#x27;Wattah Wattah&#x27; festival </a> </div>He said the LGU will go after those unruly and will file appropriate charges under its existing city ordinance No. 51 series of 2018.  Under the said ordinance, Zamora said unruly behavior is prohibited every Wattah Wattah Festival.  These include forcibly opening private and public utility vehicles, threatening and harming individuals, and entering public utility vehicles to throw water. Penalties to those who will violate the ordinance will face a penalty from P2,500 and 1 day community service up to P5,000 and imprisonment of 1-6 days.  Father Michael Kalaw, parish priest and rector of Archdiocesan Shrine of of St. John the Baptist, explained that the ritual of using water during the feast of St. John symbolizes the baptism of Jesus Christ.  ”Alam po natin na si San Juan Bautista ang nagbinyag sa ating Panginoong Jesus at ang kanyang pagbibinyag ang siyang sumisimbulo nung tubig dahil ang tubig ang siyang nagiging instrumento ng pagbibinyag ng isang katoliko, dahil si San Juan ang tinaguriang tagapag-binyang ng ating Panginoong Jesus,” Kalaw told ABS-CBN News.  <div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/6/26/san-juan-lgu-nag-sorry-sa-ilang-motorista-na-naabala-ng-wattah-wattah-festival-2348" id="isPasted">San Juan LGU, nag-sorry sa ilang motorista na naabala ng Wattah! Wattah! Festival</a></div>The San Juan City LGU encouraged the public who have evidence or victims of unruly people during the “Wattah Wattah Festival” to come out and file charges.  Zamora said the LGU has collected all available videos on social media to help authorities identify all those who may have violated its city ordinance.

A resident of San Juan City filed charges against a motorcycle rider who sprayed a chemical suspected to be muriatic acid during the “Wattah Wattah Festival”.

A resident of San Juan City filed charges against a motorcycle rider who sprayed a chemical suspected to be muriatic acid during the “Wattah Wattah Festival”.

Rider who sprayed suspected acid during water festival faces raps

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Rider who sprayed suspected acid during water festival faces raps

Johnson Manabat,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 27, 2024 11:42 PM PHT

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