A heartbroken camper who shouted and vented his frustrations at nature was punched on the face by a campsite staffer for allegedly being too loud in Tanay, Rizal, on Monday, Feb. 10.
A video posted by Facebook user Don Na went viral after sharing their experience at a Tanay campsite, where what was supposed to be a relaxing trip turned into trouble when a staff member suddenly confronted them for shouting and cursing.
“Sinuntok niya yung friend namin kasi nagmumura daw yung isa naming kaibigan na wala man lang warning-warning. Bigla na lang nananakit, pwede kami pagsabihan [pero] hindi niya ginawa. Palapit pa lang siya, siya na yung galit na galit na pinagmumura kami at sino daw yung nagmumura, eh nagkakatuwaan lang kami (He punched our friend because he said one of us was cursing without any warning. He suddenly started attacking us instead of just telling us calmly. As he approached, he was already angry, swearing at us and asking who was cursing, even though we were just having fun),” she added.
The camper who was punched explained that the trip was meant for him and his friends to relax and vent after his recent breakup.
In the video, the staff can be seen asking the campers to leave the campsite, after which the victim explained that they were just shouting at the mountain. When asked what the issue was, the staff claimed they were cursing.
The staff again asked who they were cursing. When the camper said, "Ayun, yung bundok (The mountain)," the staff suddenly punched the camper on the face and shouted, "Siraulo ka! (You're crazy)."
Out of frustration, the camper fought back, asking why the staff had hit him, saying that they were guests and had paid to be there.
The staff was arrested on the day of the incident and is now detained at the Tanay Police Station. He is facing charges for slight physical injury.
Authorities said the staff explained to them that he needed to confront the campers around 6 a.m. because they were being too loud and could disturb sleeping guests, coworkers, and nearby families at the campsite.
Meanwhile, the campsite issued an official statement apologizing for the incident and promised that the incident will not happen again.
Netizens' reactions
Netizens had mixed reactions to the incident, with some siding with the campers, suggesting the campsite management should improve staff training for such situations. Some comments included:
"Staff ba 'yun parang napadaan lang na lasing na mainit ulo (Is that staff? It looks like someone just passing by, drunk and hot-headed).”
"Buti nga sa yo kulong ka boy... pakielamero ka kasi... kahit na mag maoy siya d'yan, wala kang karapatan manakit ng kapwa (Good for you, you deserve to be jailed... you shouldn’t have laid hands on others, no matter what).”
"I boycott na ang campsite na 'yan may nanapak pala dyan… (Boycott that campsite, they let their staff punch campers).”
On the other hand, some netizens said the campers were also at fault for shouting and cursing, especially since the campsite featured Catholic figures and a large grotto of Mama Mary and Jesus.
"Yang eco-park camp site na yan, may mga figures po d'yan ng Catholic Saints and may malaking groto ng Mama Mary and Jesus. If camper ka, alam mong bawal magingay sa mga ganyang klaseng camp sites (That eco-park campsite has figures of Catholic Saints and a huge grotto of Mama Mary and Jesus. As a camper, you should know it’s not appropriate to make noise in such places).”
"Di ko kinakampihan yung nanakit. I agree na mishandled yung situation pero mukhang nilalaro rin kasi nila ng sagot si Kuya. May nagtrigger sa kanya kung bakit nya nagawa yan. Respeto po natin yung lugar and mga lokal sa pinapasyalan natin (I’m not defending the staff, I agree the situation was mishandled, but it looks like they were provoking the guy. Something triggered him to act that way. Let’s respect the place and the locals we visit).”
"This is a perfect example of why we should always be mindful of our words, especially in unfamiliar places. What we say may not always be meant for others, but we can't control how they'll take it. A little respect and awareness can go a long way in avoiding unnecessary trouble. Lesson learned the hard way!"