CLARK FREEPORT – If the mountains of North America have Bigfoot, Mt. Pinatubo in Central Luzon has emerged with its Barefoot who is now being hunted by both soldiers and policemen on the slopes of the volcano.
Guy Hilbero, tourism officer of Mabalacat, Pampanga, christened as “Barefoot” the suspect in what he described as a “historic holdup” of three young British nationals on the slopes of Mt. Pinatubo at about 8:30 a.m. last Sunday.
“In the 15-year history of trekking to the crater-lake of Mt. Pinatubo, it was the first holdup of tourists to happen on the slopes. In that sense, the holdup was historic and it was an embarrassment for our tourism industry, ” Hilbero lamented.
He identified the victims as British nationals Peter Turner and his sister Selma Turner and their friend David Padfield, all in their early 20’s. The turners are Eurasians vacationing with relatives of the Filipino mother in San Felipe, Zambales.
“It was the first such incident since I initiated trekking to the summit of Mt. Pinatubo 15 years ago as a tourist attraction,” Hilbero said. The two-kilometer wide lake on the crater was formed when the summit of the volcano collapsed during its eruption in 1991. Treks to the volcanic summit have become a major tourist attraction in Central Luzon since then.
The three victims set for the trek to the crater at about 5 a.m. last Sunday. About 100 foreign and domestic tourists were bound for the trek that day, although they went in separate groups, each with a local guide.
Hilbero said the trek, which he also joined with a separate group, started at the tourism center in Barangay Sta. Juliana in Capas, Tarlac where the trekkers hired a four-wheel powered jeep which travelled one and a half hours to the slopes. In an area no longer accessible to vehicles, the tourists started their trek on foot that was supposed to last two hours up to the summit.
“We were already climbing on foot for about half an hour when we saw the British youths, who were ahead of us by about half a kilometer, rushing back to us shouting they were held up,” he recalled.
The victims, who had a guide named Jun Salazar, said the lone holdupper, wielding what seemed to be an improvised pistol, suddenly jumped from a rock in front of them and announced the holdup. They were immediately told to throw their bags away and lie on their stomachs.
They said that when the suspect had collected their bags, the suspect told them to run away as fast as they could, as he fired one shot into the air.
The victims lost two Canon cameras worth some P75,000 each, one digital camera, P10,000 cash, three iPad tablets, signature sunglasses, and a Timex watch.
Hilbero said investigators who later responded to the incident referred to the suspect as Barefoot. “Ground prints at the site of the holdup indicated that the suspect was barefoot. The victims said he also wore fatigue uniform with matching hat,”
Hilbero said that the victim’s Filipino guide could not say whether the suspect was an Aeta, although he described him as “short and dark complexioned.”
Responding Philippine Air Force soldiers and barangay officials from Sta. Juliana, led by its chairman Salvador de los Reyes, failed to track down Barefoot, although they theorized that the suspect could have had company as indicated by camping leftovers near the holdup site.
Despite the incident, the tourists decided to go on with their climb to Mt. Pinatubo’s lake where Hilbero treated them to a free boat ride. After the trek, the victims were also treated to free meals and a reimbursement of the P1,500 fee each paid for the hiring of the jeep, tourist guide fee, and the meal. Hilbero also lent them P3,000 of his personal funds to enable them to go back to Zambales where they have been staying since they arrived a week ago.
Hilbero asked yesterday Brig Gen. Fred Payawan, commander of the 600th airbase wing here, to help track down Barefoot.
“I know the terrain, and I am sure Barefoot is still there somewhere and would not be able to leave except through the western side of the slopes. We will catch him,” he assured the victims.
Guy Hilbero, tourism officer of Mabalacat, Pampanga, christened as “Barefoot” the suspect in what he described as a “historic holdup” of three young British nationals on the slopes of Mt. Pinatubo at about 8:30 a.m. last Sunday.
“In the 15-year history of trekking to the crater-lake of Mt. Pinatubo, it was the first holdup of tourists to happen on the slopes. In that sense, the holdup was historic and it was an embarrassment for our tourism industry, ” Hilbero lamented.
He identified the victims as British nationals Peter Turner and his sister Selma Turner and their friend David Padfield, all in their early 20’s. The turners are Eurasians vacationing with relatives of the Filipino mother in San Felipe, Zambales.
“It was the first such incident since I initiated trekking to the summit of Mt. Pinatubo 15 years ago as a tourist attraction,” Hilbero said. The two-kilometer wide lake on the crater was formed when the summit of the volcano collapsed during its eruption in 1991. Treks to the volcanic summit have become a major tourist attraction in Central Luzon since then.
The three victims set for the trek to the crater at about 5 a.m. last Sunday. About 100 foreign and domestic tourists were bound for the trek that day, although they went in separate groups, each with a local guide.
Hilbero said the trek, which he also joined with a separate group, started at the tourism center in Barangay Sta. Juliana in Capas, Tarlac where the trekkers hired a four-wheel powered jeep which travelled one and a half hours to the slopes. In an area no longer accessible to vehicles, the tourists started their trek on foot that was supposed to last two hours up to the summit.
“We were already climbing on foot for about half an hour when we saw the British youths, who were ahead of us by about half a kilometer, rushing back to us shouting they were held up,” he recalled.
The victims, who had a guide named Jun Salazar, said the lone holdupper, wielding what seemed to be an improvised pistol, suddenly jumped from a rock in front of them and announced the holdup. They were immediately told to throw their bags away and lie on their stomachs.
They said that when the suspect had collected their bags, the suspect told them to run away as fast as they could, as he fired one shot into the air.
The victims lost two Canon cameras worth some P75,000 each, one digital camera, P10,000 cash, three iPad tablets, signature sunglasses, and a Timex watch.
Hilbero said investigators who later responded to the incident referred to the suspect as Barefoot. “Ground prints at the site of the holdup indicated that the suspect was barefoot. The victims said he also wore fatigue uniform with matching hat,”
Hilbero said that the victim’s Filipino guide could not say whether the suspect was an Aeta, although he described him as “short and dark complexioned.”
Responding Philippine Air Force soldiers and barangay officials from Sta. Juliana, led by its chairman Salvador de los Reyes, failed to track down Barefoot, although they theorized that the suspect could have had company as indicated by camping leftovers near the holdup site.
Despite the incident, the tourists decided to go on with their climb to Mt. Pinatubo’s lake where Hilbero treated them to a free boat ride. After the trek, the victims were also treated to free meals and a reimbursement of the P1,500 fee each paid for the hiring of the jeep, tourist guide fee, and the meal. Hilbero also lent them P3,000 of his personal funds to enable them to go back to Zambales where they have been staying since they arrived a week ago.
Hilbero asked yesterday Brig Gen. Fred Payawan, commander of the 600th airbase wing here, to help track down Barefoot.
“I know the terrain, and I am sure Barefoot is still there somewhere and would not be able to leave except through the western side of the slopes. We will catch him,” he assured the victims.
