Teen Brawl Disrupts Wattah Wattah Festival in San Juan City
A violent clash erupted during the Wattah Wattah Festival in San Juan City on Tuesday, leaving a 17-year-old boy injured. The incident involved two groups of teenagers, casting a shadow over the city’s annual celebration.
Authorities identified the victim only as “JV,” a resident of Mandaluyong City. According to reports, the teenagers were gathered along Pinaglabanan Road, near the San Juan City Hall, when tensions flared into a physical fight.
“Investigation disclosed that the group of teenagers was attending the Wattah Wattah Festival along Pinaglabanan Road in front of San Juan City Hall when they engaged in a mauling incident which resulted in the injury of ‘JV,’” local police sources said.
Police Swiftly Intervene to Restore Order
Responding promptly, officers from the San Juan City Police Station and augmented personnel from the Regional Mobile Force Battalion arrived at the scene. They quickly quelled the disturbance and separated the involved parties.
“Deployed personnel of this station and augmented personnel from the RMFB, upon seeing the group of teenagers engaged in trouble and commotion in the area, immediately responded and pacified the involved parties,” officials noted.
While the reason behind the conflict remains unclear, police confirmed those involved included “Zell,” a 16-year-old from San Juan accompanying JV, and a second group of six teenagers from Santa Mesa, Manila: “Vin” (15), “Dekdek” (16), “Maki” (16), “AA” (17), “Jayson” (17), and “Sean” (17).
Medical and Social Welfare Assistance Provided
All the teenagers were taken to San Juan Medical Center for medical evaluation. Afterwards, they were handed over to the City Social Welfare and Development Office for further care.
“Likewise, the parents or guardians of the involved minors have appeared at the police station to assist their respective children and relatives,” authorities added.
Mayor Reports Minimal Disturbances During Festival
In a statement later that day, San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora described the festival as largely peaceful despite the isolated brawl.
“Ano ang na-report dito sa ‘basaan’ zone? Kaunting mga kaguluhan. May mga minors na nagkaroon ng kaunting suntukan. Ngunit, ang ating kapulisan ay naawat agad yan,” he said.
(What was reported here in the dousing zone? Only a few troubles. There were some minors who had a small scuffle. But our police immediately stopped it.)
The mayor added, “Ang mga batang ito, tinurn over natin sa ating CSWDO. Karamihan sa kanila ay hindi taga-San Juan. Chineck namin. They are not from our city.”
(We turned the kids over to the CSWDO. Most of them are not from San Juan. We checked. They are not from our city.)
Festival Safety Measures Enforced
Prior to the festival, Mayor Zamora implemented a new city ordinance restricting the “basaan” (water-dousing) zone to a specific segment of Pinaglabanan Road. The zone was limited to operate from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 24 to promote peace and order during the event.
Despite the unfortunate incident, local leaders remain committed to ensuring a safe environment for all participants.
For more news and updates on Wattah Wattah Festival, visit Filipinokami.com.