Rehearsal ends in brawl as three Sinulog participants sustain injuries after stone-throwing attack

• Three dancers from the Naga City contingent were attacked with stones and blunt objects during a 2 a.m. rehearsal in Barangay Luz on January 4, 2026
• One performer is currently scheduled for eye surgery, while others received treatment for deep head and facial cuts
• Authorities detained one adult suspect and four minors; the suspects claim they were "taunted" by the dancers during a basketball dispute
• Despite the violence, Cebu City officials maintain that the incident is isolated and will not affect the safety of the main Sinulog 2026 festivities

In the early hours of Sunday, January 4, 2026, the rhythmic thumping of drums and the focused energy of Sinulog rehearsals were shattered by a sudden wave of violence.

What was meant to be a final polish for the upcoming festival instead became a scene of chaos at the Barangay Luz Elementary School gymnasium, leaving three members of a visiting dance contingent injured and hospitalized.

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The victims, all hailing from the City of Naga, Cebu, were identified as Jounelyn Margallo (21), James Ryan Nathan Pepito (21), and a 17-year-old minor.

While the Sinulog Festival is renowned for its themes of unity and devotion, this pre-dawn incident highlighted a darker side of local tension.

According to the Mabolo Police Station, a group of local youths from Barangay Luz allegedly entered the gym around 2:00 a.m. carrying a basketball.

What began as a minor verbal exchange regarding the use of the space quickly soured into a heated confrontation.

The situation reached a breaking point when the locals reportedly waited outside the gym for the dancers to finish.

As the tired performers exited, they were met with a barrage of stones and physical assaults.

One victim sustained a severe injury to the eye area requiring surgery, while others suffered lacerations to their heads and faces, some reportedly caused by a sharp object wielded by the attackers.

Local authorities acted swiftly. Barangay public safety officers apprehended five suspects, including 22-year-old Cid Marl Aboyme and four minors aged 15 to 17.

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While the adult suspect remains in custody facing charges of physical injuries and scandal, the juveniles have been transferred to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Mayor Nestor Archival has since addressed the public, dismissing the brawl as a "regrettable and isolated" event.

However, for the dancers whose costumes were torn and whose spirits were shaken, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the risks faced by performers who often practice in public spaces at odd hours.

As Cebu prepares to welcome millions for the grand 2026 parade, the focus now shifts back to the "spirit of inclusion" that the festival is supposed to represent.

In other news, a motorcycle rider named Rodel Cyrus Dela Rosa shared a poignant account of being approached by a weeping Sherra de Juan in Sison, Pangasinan, after she had been missing for 19 days. De Juan, who disappeared on December 10 just days before her wedding, revealed she had been walking long distances and hiding during the day in a desperate attempt to find her way back to Manila. Upon recognizing her distress, the rider provided the "missing bride" with food and the use of a mobile phone, allowing her to make a tearful and long-awaited connection with her family in Quezon City. While the Quezon City Police District has officially reunited Sherra with her fiancé and family, investigators have placed the case in "inactive" status, pending any further testimony regarding her time away.

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Still in other news, the peaceful morning in Barangay Camp 7, Minglanilla, Cebu, was shattered when local residents witnessed a stray puppy carrying the severed head of a newborn infant. Despite an immediate and exhaustive search of the surrounding ravines and residential areas by the Minglanilla Police, the rest of the infant's body has yet to be located. Authorities are currently canvassing local clinics and hospitals to identify any individuals who may have recently given birth or sought medical attention for post-pregnancy complications. Police officials have urged the community to report any suspicious activity or knowledge of the infant's mother, as they work to determine if the death was a result of a crime or an abandoned biological remains.

Source: KAMI.com.gh