Cops stumped by conflicting tales of Boracay fist-fight
ILOILO CITY, Philippines—Police investigating a fist-fight between the husband of former beauty queen Carlene Aguilar and the alleged owners of a resort on Boracay Island are still determining who instigated the exchange of blows, given the conflicting versions of the event given to the cops.
Senior Insp. Frensy Andrade, chief of the Boracay Tourist Assistance Center (BTAC), the island’s police force, said the two parties reported two different versions of the conflict that happened at Grand Boracay Resort in Barangay Balabag early morning of May 1.
Aguilar, 33, earlier posted on her Facebook page an account of how her husband Rogelio Ocampo, 35, was allegedly beaten up by five men whom she identified as Tony Tan, the owner of the resort; two men who claimed to be sons of the owner, and security guards of the resort. She also posted photos of injuries of her husband.
In a Facebook post, Aguilar claimed that while she was walking back to their room on the fourth floor of the hotel past midnight on May 1, a man who was walking from the opposite direction bumped into her “intentionally.” She alleged the man was intoxicated.
The man was identified in police blotter reports as Patrick Castro, 19.
In the blotter report of BTAC, Aguilar and Ocampo alleged a heated argument broke out between Castro and Aguilar’s husband before the couple went back to their room.
But the couple said they soon heard someone shouting and kicking at the door of their room.
When Ocampo opened the door, he was allegedly hit on the arm with a pitcher by Mark, identified as a brother of Castro. Ocampo struck back with a liquor bottle, according to the blotter report.
The couple claimed Tan at first tried to pacify the two but later punched Ocampo. They said the two security guards identified as Ramil Samblasino and Edgardo Apolinario also mauled Ocampo.
Aguilar said the men were all intoxicated and ordered them to leave the resort. She said she was also hit by their alleged assailants who only stopped when she pleaded.
But in the blotter report filed by Castro, he claimed he was on his way back to his room on the same floor as that of the couple’s when he accidentally bumped into Ocampo, triggering a heated argument.
Castro said he proceeded to his room but when his brother learned of the incident, they decided to go to Ocampo’s room to “settle” the matter.
He said without any reason, Ocampo struck his brother in the head with a liquor bottle, adding he tried to pacify Ocampo who kept on hitting his brother.
Castro claimed Tan and two security guards arrived later when they heard the commotion and also tried to pacify Ocampo but he was also hit.
Castro’s brother Mark was brought first to Metropolitan Doctors Medical Clinic in Boracay and later to St. Gabriel Hospital in the capital town of Kalibo for treatment of injuries, according to the blotter report.
It is unclear if the Castros are sons of Tan because they have different surnames.
Tan and the Castros could not be reached for comment at the resort. A staff of hotel said there was no one available to respond to requests for a statement on the incident.
Andrade said the two parties have not filed any complaints as of Wednesday.
