Corpun file 12276

Sun-Star, Cebu, 3 November 2003

'Bloody, dying' teener stages prank, jailed

By Rene H. Martel
Sun-Star Staff Reporter

A TEENAGER ended up spending the night in jail after pulling a trick on Consolacion town residents: he painted himself red and pretended he was dead, lying along the road in Barangay Nangka Saturday.

His acting was so convincing that horrified passersby made a frantic call to the police station for help.

Policemen promptly rushed to the area in the hope that the person could still be saved, perhaps brought to the nearest hospital.

"Sus, ang yabag nibangon ma'g kalit pagkabantay niyang pulis na ang nangabot. Hinungaw ra kuno tong iyaha sa Halloween. Komedya lang kuno (He sat up when the police arrived and said it was just a post-Halloween joke)," said PO3 Romulo Sasing.

Sasing said the teenager smeared his face and body with red food coloring to make it appear he was covered in blood.

Those who passed by the area scampered away frightened at the sight of a blood-spattered "corpse" lying beside the road.

Responding policemen were not amused and brought him to the police station.

Aside from the prank, the teenager was jailed for the night for safekeeping because he also reeked of liquor.

He was released yesterday morning because no one among those he troubled came to the police station to complain.

He left the station overjoyed, but not after [sic] a spank to his behind over the hassle he caused to the police.

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