A Medical Center Mystery

Have you receive this message below?

About

"ICU patients always died in the same bed on Sundays at 11 a.m., regardless of their medical condition. This puzzled the doctors. No one could solve the mystery. Mr. Licauco and the Ateneo paranormal folks were called. They arrived armed with special photographic equipment, infrared devices and motion sensitive radar to detect any presence, so on Sunday, a few minutes before 11 a.m., doctors and nurses nervously waited outside the ward to know what the mystery was all about. Some were holding wooden crosses and prayer books to ward off evil spirits. "When the clock struck 11, Mang Jose, a part-time Sunday janitor, entered the room, unplugged the life support system and plugged in the vacuum cleaner."

Me? Yes. That's the reason why I searched some details that can support the text message I received. Actually I got it a long time ago, and it was only now that I read it again.

According to the message, every patient dies in ICU every 11 AM, Sunday, whatever reason death may cause.

It mentioned a doctor named Dr. Licauco, perhaps his full name is Jaime T. Licauco. He is a paranormal expert (a parapsychologist), President of Philippine Paranormal Research Society, Inc., and a columnist in Inquirer Lifestyle. Other than that, I knew nothing about him. It also mentioned together with Mr. Licauco, the Ateneo paranormal folks. I don't know about them.

I found an article in a News website in the Philippines. He also received the same message, and searched everything about it.

News

I RECENTLY got a text message titled ?Mystery at a Medical Center? from a well known ophthalmologist. The message read: ICU patients always died in the same bed on Sundays at 11 a.m., regardless of their medical condition. This puzzled the doctors. No one could solve the mystery. Mr. Licauco and the Ateneo paranormal folks were called. They arrived armed with special photographic equipment, infrared devices and motion sensitive radar to detect any presence, so on Sunday, a few minutes before 11 a.m., doctors and nurses nervously waited outside the ward to know what the mystery was all about. Some were holding wooden crosses and prayer books to ward off evil spirits. When the clock struck 11, Mang Jose, a part-time Sunday janitor, entered the room, unplugged the life support system and plugged in the vacuum cleaner. I replied to the female ophthalmologist who had sent me the text, ?I didn?t know that story is still being circulated around.? I explained to her that the joke first appeared on the Internet maybe five years ago in the US. It carried names of well-known American parapsychologists. Somebody had forwarded to me a copy of that Internet joke. Soon it was used by compilers of a bestselling series of pamphlets on ?True Philippine Ghost Stories.? But they changed the name of the American hospital to Makati Medical Center and the names of the parapsychologists to sometimes Jaime Bulatao or Tony Perez and the spirit questors and myself. I thought the story had died a natural death. But many years later, I found out it is still very much alive, this time in text jokes. I am simply amused by such stories and hope people see the obvious jest. Strangers But urban legends apparently die hard. And some have been going on about me without my knowledge. I am usually the last to know. For example, I bumped into a group of strangers coming out of a Greenbelt restaurant years ago. One of them recognized me and greeted. ?Do you remember me?? he asked. I apologized and said, ?No I?m sorry, but I don?t.? He then told me he could not forget meeting me in a restaurant three months before former Sen. Ninoy Aquino came back to the Philippines. He said that I told him and six other people that if Ninoy came back to the Philippines, he would be assassinated. I said that? I asked incredulously. Yes, he emphatically replied. There were six of us who heard you say that. ?I?m sorry.? I told him. ?I don?t remember having said that.? And then I walked away from them. I learned from my son Jolan Alexander, now a businessman, that he had been told the story on two separate occasions that I once hit a baseball so hard it flew high up in the sky and was never recovered. When Jolan told me about that, I merely laughed because I have never played baseball, not even in my dreams! Relieved Here?s another recent example which took place only months ago. I went to a medical doctor who was a practitioner of holistic medicine and Chinese acupuncture. There was a female patient in the treatment room. When we were introduced, she said she knew me; we were neighbors in same office building in Makati. She said she was then scheduled for operation for cancer and I supposedly told her not to undergo the operation because she didn?t need it. Because of my advice. she said she didn?t undergo the operation. ?And what happened?? I nervously asked. ?You were right!? she replied. ?It turned out I didn?t need the operation after all.? I was relieved but at the same time puzzled because I would never tell anyone, specially someone I hardly know, not to undergo a medical surgery. I don?t remember that incident at all. But she was very sure that conversation took place in that building. Maybe that was another urban legend that has developed around my persona or character. I?ve been told that some people say I can read minds, tell the future, heal the sick and talk to the dead. If I could do all those things, I probably would have a long line of people waiting outside my door. I don?t know how many others are being circulated that I am not aware of.

Source:
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/wellness/wellness/view/20101123-304720/Urban-legends-die-hard
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaime_Licauco

The Kleptomaniac

Actually, I don't know if I should include this in my blog, because this can be just a gossip or some what a joke. Well urban legends came also from these sources and the public just took it very serious.

There's this intriguing blind item in showbiz (show business) in the Philippines by a tabloid news paper. The said news paper didn't mention the name of the celebrity suspected of being a kleptomaniac.

The Blind Item

[Taken from a Showbiz News Website:]

"There is a fly in the ointment in what is generally perceived to be wedded bliss of a very popular showbiz couple. The husband found out that her [sic] angelic wife, a scion of an old haciendero family, suffers from kleptomania. It was only recently that he was shocked to learn, after being told by an executive of a ritzy Makati department store, that his wife was caught shoplifting. "The guy immediately proceeded to the store, paid double the amount involved (which were for small items really) and asked the management to clamp down on the incident. But the incident was repeated several times. The embarrassed husband hired a security guard to look after the wife. The guard was instructed to watch discreetly but closely if the wife shoplifts and pay for the item without creating a fuss. "The husband has confronted the wife about this malady and the wife had agreed to undergo psychotherapy in St. Luke’s Hospital in Quezon City. The latest word is the wife is now seeing a shrink regularly.”

It turned out that the alarming blind item is talking about the angelic lady Ms. Lucy Torres-Gomez, and his husband Mr. Richard Gomez.

What is a Kleptomaniac?

Before we go on to our story, let's start by explaining what kleptomaniac actually is.

Kleptomania is the inability to refrain from the urge to steal items for reasons other than personal use or financial gain. First described in 1816, kleptomania is presently classified in psychiatry as an impulse control disorder. Alternatively, some of the main characteristics of the disorder, which consist of recurring intrusion feelings, an inability to resist the urge to steal, and a release of pressure following the theft, suggest that kleptomania could be an obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder, although this is disputed.

Actually, kleptomaniac person doesn't steal large items just like those of real thieves. Instead, they only steal fancy thing, or should I say cute things. The adventurous feeling of getting something from others is the satisfying thing they often wanted to feel.

Investigations and Conclusions

Medias and other simple individual person took the conclusions about the names of the celebrities in the blind item. They took it seriously.

Showbiz TV Shows in every network made investigations and conclusions to defunct the rumor. Some of them claimed that the blind item is true, but some told it isn't.

[Taken from a Showbiz News Website:]

ABS-CBN PICKS UP. The “Lucy Torres-Gomez shoplifting incident” grew even louder when shows and people from the TV network ABS-CBN picked up the rumor. The now-defunct showbiz-oriented ABS-CBN show Ek! Channel began running a story about the rumor in January 2005, complete with reenactment. ABS-CBN newscasters Ces Drillon and Karen Davila also touched on the rumor. Ces did her own investigating and began asking around, while Karen was supposed to be keeping the “surveillance tape” of the whole “shoplifting and arresting” scene that happened in the “ritzy Makati department store” mentioned in the blind item. This establishment was also identified as Rustan’s Department Store. The Buzz was also getting ready to launch its own take on the rumor, as it grew even louder in cyberspace through web forum discussions and emails, complete with the “conversation” between Lucy and the guards who “caught” her “shoplifting.” And in the emails and forums, the rumor began to sound believable since the pinpointed sources of the story were “people from ABS-CBN.” For almost a year, nothing was heard from the subject of the shoplifting rumor. Lucy kept quiet in the hope that the rumor would die a natural death. But it didn’t. So, Lucy finally spoke up.

The GMA Network S-Files claimed that it was not true.

[Taken from a Showbiz News Website:]

AFFIRMING LUCY’S GOOD NAME. Rustan’s Department Store, responding to a query made by the GMA-7’s S-Files, issued this official statement made by its own president Bienvenido Tantoco Jr. “It has come to our attention that there are rumors circulating that Mrs. Lucy Torres-Gomez was caught shoplifting in Rustan’s. We would like the public to know that there is no truth to this and that Mrs. Lucy Torres-Gomez is a customer of good standing and is welcome in any of our establishments at anytime.” Saddened by how it easy it is for anyone to make up a story and mask it as truth, Lucy accepted the fact that, being married to Richard Gomez, something like this was bound to happen. She said, “I guess nothing just really prepares you for it when it really happens already. At the back of my mind it has always been there.” She just has to prepare herself for more of something like this in the future, Lucy said. But she resolved that next time she will not be passive anymore. She will meet the insults squarely. SOURCE: February 2005 issue, YES! magazine

Sources:
http://www.pep.ph/spotlight/fact-or-fiction/16140/lucy-torres-gomez-shoplifting-incident (Karen Pagsolingan - Wednesday, June 04, 2008 @ 04:44PM)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kleptomania

Adrian Caballes

I don't know who this 15-year-old boy student of a school abbreviated as BHNS. And I don't know if he's real or not. However, the two messages below show sign of incredibility.

Story

[Taken from a Social Networking Site:]

... paki copy nlang sa mga cp nyo lalo na sa mga tga pinas, kah8 sa ganit0ng paraan lng maka2l0ng tau kah8 k0nte Fr0m.09077537362 SAVIORS HOSPITAL OF PAKIL LAGUNA. please help by sending this message to as many as u can. A 15 years old boy ADRIAN CABALLES former student of BNHS is in crititacal stage suffering frm MEGACOLON TOXIC. His family needs 4M For the Bowel resecti0n. all networks agreed to give P1.00 for each msg. pls 4ward at least 15 people i hope that u are a kind hearted pers0n Tenkyu this msg is m0nit0red pls help!KUNG UNLI NAMAN KAU D0NT BE SELFIS GOD BLESS ... Will you copy this on your cp (cellphone) especially to those people living in the Philippines? Just for this way, we can help other people, even a little. From: 09077537362 SAVIORS HOSPITAL OF PAKIL LAGUNA. Please help by sending this message to as many as you can. A 15 years old boy ADRIAN CABALLES former student of BNHS is in crititacal stage suffering from MEGACOLON TOXIC. His family needs four million for the Bowel Resection. All networks agreed to give P1.00 for each message. Pls. forward (to) at least 15 people. I hope that you are a kind-hearted person. Thank you! This message is monitored. Please help! If you're (text) unlimited, don't be selfish.

[Taken from a Text Message:]

GENERAL HOSPITAL OF BATAAN - Please help by sending this message to as many as you can. 15-year-old BOY, ADRIAN CABALLES, former Student of BNHS, is in a critical stage, suffering from MEGACOLON TOXIC . His family needs 4M (4 Million) for the BOWEL RESECTION. All networks agreed to give P1.00 for each message. PLS. forward to atleast 15 people. I hope that you are a kind-hearted person. TNX! This message is monitored. PLS. Help! If you're (text) unlimited, don't be selfish. God Bless you!

The first message, actually from Facebook.com, tells that the boy was confined in SAVIORS HOSPITAL OF PAKIL LAGUNA, while the second one is GENERAL HOSPITAL OF BATAAN. If this is true, then what was really the hospital where he could be found? Other than that, the two tells about similar individual with the same disease, with alike school and age. However, there are too many BNHS school in the Philippines.

Balayan National High School - Balayan, Batangas

Balibago National High School - Barangay Balibago, Santa Rosa City, Laguna

Bacoor National High School - Bacoor City, Cavite

Bataan National High School - Bataan

And many more....

Sources:
http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?id=297936936936882&story_fbid=318317231565519

Is there a Ghost in Hospitals?

About

Many Filipinos believe in ghosts, and hospitals, being the place where there's always death, of course, they will think that a single hospital is home for a hundreds of ghosts.

There was this text message which could be an example of ghost in hospitals. No one knows if it actually happened or not but, for sure, it was just for the sake of enjoyment. Yet, it created goosebumps to the readers.

By the way, there was a legend in University of Sto. Tomas about a doctor (not a nurse) who has a similar story as this.

Story

[Taken from a text message]

Once there was this nurse rushing faster going to the elevator. A child was running after her, that's why. Inside the elevator, a middle-aged man was standing, noticed the nurse looked frightened. Why do you look so pale and scared? He asked. Haven't you seen the little boy after me? The nurse replied. He is wearing a red tag bracelet on his right hand. If he is wearing a blue tag then he is alive, but he's wearing red, thus he is definitely dead. She continued. After she explains everything happened to her, the man raises his hands showing something, and suddenly says . . . Like this? The nurse because of horror, became insane.

---

[Taken from Internet:]

A UST doctor decided to ride the elevator down to the hospital morgue. There was only one other passenger inside. Noticing a patient trying to catch the lift, the doctor immediately shut the door. The other passenger asked her why she refused to wait for the patient. She explained that the “patient” was wearing a red band on his wrist and she'd been warned that only corpses wore such bands. The passenger approached him and lifted his arm. “Tulad nito?” (Like this?) he asked, showing the crimson tag dangling from his wrist. [Click Here]

---

[Taken from Internet:]

I found this Visayan Version of the same story as the others posted here. Naay usa ka-doctor na musakay unta sa elevator, kilid lang sa ER ... Anway, pag-abli sa elevator naay duha ka-tawo sa sulod. Ang usa nag-tindog ug nag-sul-ob ug laboratory gown. Ang usa naa sa sawog, kay nakuyapan. Gidagan ni Doc ang taw na nakuyapan sa ER na naa ra kilid. Kadtong na-uli-an na ang tawo, iyang gipangutana na-unsa to siya, nisulti siya na naa siyang nakit-an nga patay na pero naglakawlakaw pa, ug nag-sul-ob ug orange tag. (this orange tag means you're dead and your body is now in the morgue waiting for disposal). Nagkatawa ang doctor kay basin nag-binuang ra. Mibalik siya sa may elevator ug misakay pag-abli. Naa tong tawo na kuyog adtong nakuyapan. Nagstorya sila bahin adtong nakuyapan ug nakakita daw ug ungo tong tawhana. Pagsulti ni doc na nag-sul-ob daw ug orange tag ang iyang nakit-an, gisaka sa tawo sulod sa elevator ang iyang kamot ug misulti, "parehas niini?" Namugnaw siya kay mao tong tawhana na iyang gi-declare na Dead on arrival pipila ka oras na nilabay. Ug siya, nakuyapan. There was a doctor who decided to take a ride in the elevator near the ER (he was waiting for the elevator to open that time). When the elevator opened, he saw two men inside. One of them was standing, wearing a laboratory gown. The other one was lying in the floor unconscious. He brought the unconscious man to ER which was near the elevator. When the man woke up he asked him what happened, then he answered that he saw a dead person still walking wearing an orange tag in the wrist. (This orange tag means you're dead and your body is now in the morgue waiting for disposal.) The doctor just laughed at what he heard from the person. Then he went back in front of the elevator and took a ride when it opened. There again the person who was with the one who fainted. He told that person the reason why the man lost consciousness - that he saw a dead man. As the doctor speaks about the person wearing an orange tag, the person raised his hand and said, Like this?. The doctor felt cold because that person he was with was the same one he declared dead on arrival some time ago. And he fainted.

---

[Taken from Internet:]

The Elevator Gem is working as a nurse in a big hospital. during that time, gem was on a night shift, where hours would seem like eternity. To keep herself from falling asleep, she and her nurse friends would talk about a lot of things-especially ghost stories-to perk them up while doing their charting. Then one night, the nurses got too busy to chat-someone died in the emergency room,a group of people were admitted due to a vehicular accident, another patient is in a critical condition. The nurses were prepared for such emergencies and were able to attend all those needing medical attention. Gem had to go to the pharmacy downstairs to get some medicine for her patient. She hurried to the nearby elevator to the ground floor. She was on the fourth floor. Gem saw that there was already a man inside the elevator when she got in. She didn't know the guy, but she was happy that she had someone to ride the elevator with. As the elevator reached the second floor,the doors opened. They saw a little boy, about five years old, waiting to get inside the elevator. But before the boy could get in, Gem hurriedly closed the elevator doors and pressed again the ground floor button, leaving the boy behind. The stranger was puzzled and asked gem why she did what she did. "why didn't you let the poor boy ride with us?" the man asked. "He looks like the boy who died here the other day. We tried to save him, but we couldn't. The second floor houses the pediatric ward and that's where the boy died," explained gem who was a bit winded. "How can you be so sure that it was the same boy? Is it because he's wearing the same tag as mine?" the stranger asked as he raised his arm to show gem the hospital tag attached to his wrist. Gem was taken aback. She thought she was going to faint. She stared at the man this time, finally noticing that he was in a hospital gown. She suddenly recognized who the man was- he was the one who was in a critical condition an hour earlier, but died on the operating table. The elevator doors opened as it reached the ground floor. Gem ran blindly away from the lift and never looked back. She got the medicines she needed and hurriedly went back to her patient. but this time, she didn't take the elevator. Instead, she took the stairs. Never again did she ride the elevator during night shifts.

Variations:

Actually there are many variations on how the story was delivered in text message.

Some tells, that the man saw the child running after the nurse then she abruptly closed the elevator's door before the child can enter, then asked: Why didn't you let the child to enter?.

Some it was a little girl instead of a boy.

Another was instead of a female nurse, it was a male; or instead a nurse, it was doctor of UST.

Again others didn't mention if the man inside the elevator was of middle age.

As I found this article in a website, that this story was once featured in a Philippine ghost story book, I wonder if this actually came from a real experience of the girl named Gem. The first time I had heard this story was from my friend, then I received a text message from another friend with the same story.

Source:

http://forum.wl.igg.com/viewthread.php?tid=54877 - - [True Philippine Ghost Stories - Haunted Hospitals. PSICOM Publishing Inc.]
http://hccc.friendhood.net/t161-visayan-myths-and-urban-legends

Maria Labo

Legend

Collected from Internet:

A young woman named Maria went to Canada as a caregiver. There, she took care of an old man which, according to rumours, was possessed by the so-called "vampire" (some "aswang") curse. When the old man died, he passed the curse (some say, his powers) to Maria. Finding no luck in Canada, Maria went home. It was then that her thirst for human flesh started. When her husband, a policeman, went home one night, he looked for their kids. The deranged Maria pointed to the stove where she had cooked their children. Enraged, her husband struck her with a bolo ("labo") where she obtained a scar on her face, earning her the monicker Maria Labo. They said, she fled to Visayas, then to Mindanao, in a quest to satiate her hunger for human flesh and viscera. Like a typical aswang, she has the ability to change her appearance. Sometimes she appears as a beautiful young lady. At other times, she appears as an old woman.

According to some interviews, chain messages and/or warning texts:

She was recently a saleslady in a mall (I don't know where specifically in the Philippines she is now), living as a normal person, and whenever you remember abruptly about her at exactly 3 in the morning and afternoon, she'll suddenly appear on front of you then kill you. Some said, she has a cellphone number. (I don't know what will happen if you'll call her.)

Taken from a Book:

Ang Tatlong Katauhan ni Maria Labo By: Abelardo Gajarion 1. Mula nang naging malaganap ang militarisasyon sa kanayunan naging magulo na ang probinsiya ng Sorsogon. Walang masaganang ani ang mga magsasaka't mangingisda. Maraming maliliit na negosyo ang nagsara. Hindi makapasok sa eskwela ang mga bata. Halos hindi na nga makalabas ng bahay ang mga tao. Lahat nahihintay na lang na mabagsakan ng isang bomba, para sabay-sabay na mamatay. Maliban kay Maria Labo. Malapit sa paanan ng bundok, malayo sa kabayanan, nakatira sa maliit na bahay na yari sa cogon at kawayan ang mag-asawang Maria at Ermin Labo. Mayroon silang dalwang anak, sina Pablo at Rosalinda. Si Ermin ay isang magsasaka habang si Maria naman ang naglalako ng mga ani sa kabayanan. Mula nang mawalan ng ani ang kanilang gulayan, ipinasya ni Maria na sumama sa kaibigang naghahanap ng domestic helper papuntang Espanya. Naisip niyang mas marami ang kanyan kikitain sa pagtatrabaho sa ibang bansa kaysa sa paglalako ng gulay na hindi na nga niya nagagawa dahil sa kaguluhan sa kanilang bayan. Isinangla nila ang kanilang lupang sakahan at ang kinatatayuan ng kanilang bahay para pambayad sa kanyang placement fee. Pagkalipas ng tatlong buwan, lumipad si Maria papuntang Espanya. 2. Sa isang lumang mansion, sa isang bayan na malayun-malayo sa siyudad napadpad si Maria. Bumaba siya mula sa isang kakarag-karag na bus sa tapat ng isang malaki at lumang-lumang gate na bakal. Napupuluputan ito ng mga gumagapang na halaman. Ayon sa agency na nagpadala sa kanya, isang matandang lalaki at isang katiwala na lang ang nakatira sa mansion na kanyang magtatrabahuan. Pumasok siya sa gate na bahagyang nakabukas. Tanaw niya mula sa kinatatayuan ang kulay abong mansion. Bago makarating roon, kinailangan munang maglakad ni Maria ng halos dalawang kilometro. Maalikabok ang daan na nililinyahan ng malalaking puno sa magkabilang tabi. Pagdating sa tapat ng mansion, nagulat pa si Maria nang makitang halos tatlong beses na mas matangkad sa kanya ang pintuang gawa sa matigas na kahoy na may mga ukit-ukit na ubas at mga bulaklak. Gawa sa bato ang buong mansion. Napansin niyang halos hanggang tuhod na niya ang mga damo sa bakuran. Halos mapuno na rin ng mga gumagapang na halaman ang kanang bahagi nga mansion. Kumatok siya gamit ang bilog na bakal na nakasabit mula sa sabitan na hugis ulo ng leon. Luminga-linga siya, nagbabakasakaling may tao siyang makikita, ngunit walang sumalubong sa kanya. Matapos ang halos limang minutong paghihintay, kusang bumukas ang pinto. Bumukas ito nang mabagal na mabagal at gumawa ito ng nakakarindi at nakakangilong ingay na parang bang matagal na itong nakasara at noon lamang nabuksan. Wala siyang makitang tao sa loob sa kanyang pagpasok. Hindi niya nakita ang matandang lalaki na kanina pa siya taimtim na tinititigan mula pa lang nang pumasok siya sa gate at maglakad patungo sa bahay. Hola, como estas? bati sa kanya ng isang lalaki mula sa kaliwang bahagi ng mansion. Napaigtad si Maria sa gulat. Hindi niya inasahang lalabas na lang bigla ang isang lalaking may magarang-magarang kasuotan. Soy Eduardo. Que te llamas? Hindi alam ni Maria ang isasagot. Comprendes Espanol? Umiling-iling na lamang si Maria. Kung hindi man wala, katiting lamang ang kanyang nalalaman sa wikang Espanyol. Tinitigan muna siya ng lalaki bago nagpumilit magsalita ng Ingles. Follow. Follow. Si Eduardo ang katiwala ng mansion. Matagal-tagal na rin siyang naninilbihan doon. Nagbabalak na siyang umalis, ngunit hindi niyo iyon magawa hangga't hindi pa niya napipili ang tamang babaeng mag-aalaga sa kanyang amo. Inabot sila ng kalahating araw para lamang libutin ang buong mansion. Inisa-isa nila ang bawat kwarto. At sa bawat kwarto ipinaliwanag ni Eduardo ang mga takdang gawain ni Maria. Pautal-utal na Ingles ang ginamit ni Eduardo, maging iyon ay hindi gaanong naintindihan ni Maria. Tienes hambre? E, are you, e, starved? Hindi alam ni Maria kung ano ang isasagot kaya tumango na lang siya. Nahalata ni Eduardo na hindi naintindihan ng kanyang kausap ang sinabi niya. Doon niya nalaman na natagpuan na niya ang babaeng matagal na niyang hinahanap. Senor Gustavo wants to ... e, hablar ... e, speak to you ... Tatlong buwan na ring nagtatrabaho sa mansion si Maria, ngunit hirap na hirap pa rin silang magkaintindihan at magkausap. Mas madali na lang para sa kanila ang magsenyasan. Sa loob ng tatlong buwang iyon, dalawang beses pa lang nakakapasok si Maria sa kwarto ng among si Gustavo. Sabi ni Eduardo, sa pautal-utal na tagpi-tagping kwento, si Gustavo ay matagal nang may karamdaman. Maselan ang kalagayan nito kaya hindi pwedeng makita ng maraming tao. Noong unang pagkakataon na nakapasok si Maria sa kwarto ni Gustavo halos hindi rin sila nagkita. Ipinakilala lang siya ni Eduardo, ngunit doon lamang sila nakatayo sa pintuan. Madilim ang bahagi ng kama kung saan nakaratay si Gustavo kaya hindi halos naaninag ni Maria ang mukha ng matandang lalaki. Nang ikalawang pagkakataon, nakapasok at nakalapit na si Maria kay Gustavo. Kinuha niya ang arinola sa tabi ng kama ng amo. Kulu-kulubot na ang balat nito. Manipis na manipis na ang maputing buhok sa ulo. Halos puti na lahat ang mga mata nito. Bago siya umalis tinanong si Maria ni Gustavo. Mahinang-mahina ang boses nito, halos hindi na marinig ni Maria. Are you Filipina? Tumango si Maria, naintindihan niya ang tanging tanong na itinanong sa kanya ng amo. A, opo, si, si, Senor Gustavo. I am Filipina. Nagtataka si Maria. Iniisip niya ang mga posibleng dahilan kung bakit siya pinatawag ni Gustavo gayong nariyan naman si Eduardo para ibigay anuman ang pangangailangan ng amo. Iniwan niya ang nililinis sa kusina para pumunta sa kwarto ng amo. Bago makalabas ng kusina, pinaalalahanan pa siya ni Eduardo. Maria, nunca, e, do not go out of the room if Senor Gustavo, e, is not asleep yet. Marahang kumatok saka pumasok si Maria sa kwarto ni Gustavo. Lumapit siya sa matanda. Sinenyasan siya nitong lumapit. Tila may ibubulong ang kanyang amo. Dahan-dahan niyang inilapit ang kanyang mukha sa mukha ni Gustavo. Kabadong-kabado si Maria. Hindi man lang niya nahulaan na ang pagpasok niyang iyon ay ang kanyang huli. Dahil paglabas niya, hindi na siya ang dati. 3. Malaki ang nagbago sa pamilya ni Maria simula nang bumalik siya galing Espanya. Dalawang buwan na rin ang nakakaraan mula nang bumalik siya sa bayan nila sa Sorsogon. Inggit na inggit ang mga tao nang dumating siya. Apat na buwan lang siyang namalagi sa Espanya, ngunit marami siyang dala-dalang pasalubong. Marami siyang dalang mamahaling mga plato, kubyertos, at kandelabra. Nabawi nila agad ang lupang isinangla at nakapagpagawa sila ng bagong bahay. Ngunit, ang ipinagtataka ng lahat ay kung bakit ni hindi man lang nila makita si Maria na lumabas ng bahay. Lagi silang nag-aabang na luluwas sa bayan si Maria ngunit hindi man lang nila ito matiyempuhan. Gayon din si Ermin at ang kanyang mga anak. Takang-taka sila sa panlalamig ni Maria sa kanila. Hindi ito gaanong nagsasalita bagamat nananatili pa rin itong maasikaso at mapagbigay. Kapag gabi, sa kama, naririnig ni Ermin ang impit nitong pag-iyak. Kapag hinahawakan siya ni Ermin para aluhin napapaso ito dahil sa sobrang lamig ng kanyang katawan. Para siyang yelo sa lamig. Kinukumutan siya ni Ermin at niyayakap, ngunit pakiramdam nito para lamang itong yumayakap sa hangin. Minsan, isang hatinggabi, napabalikwas si Ermin nang marining niyang pumapalahaw sa bintana si Maria. Nang magmulat siya't hinanap ang asawa nagulat siya nang makitang duguan ang katawan ni Maria. Laslas ang leeg nito at sumisirit mula doon ang napakaraming dugo. Hindi siya nagpahalatang gising bagama't takot na takot na siya. Nakita niyang tumagos sa pader ang katawan ni Maria. Nangilabot siya. Nagkunwari siyang tulog nang lapitan siya ng kanyang asawa. Alam niyang nilapitan siya nito at tinitigan ang kanyang mukha. Naaamoy ni Ermin ang lansa ng dugo at ang amoy ng naaagnas na katawan. Ipinagdasal niyang sana panaginip lang ang lahat. At kung binabangungot man siya, sana magising na siya, at sana normal pa rin ang lahat. Paggising niya kinabukasan, wala si Maria sa kanyang tabi. Hinanap niya ito sa buong kabahayan ngunit hindi niya ito nakita. Tinanong niya ang kanyang mga anak kung nakita nila si Maria ngunit hindi nila ito nakita simula ng nakaraang gabi. Ikinuwento ng kanyang dalawang anak na nanaginip silang nakita nila ang kanilang ina na umiiyak sa kwarto nila. Duguan ang buong katawan nito. Laslas ang leeg at sumisirit ang dugo mula dito. Nilapitan sila at hinalikan ng kanilang ina, tapos paggising nila, walang anumang bakas na nagpunta nga roon si Maria. Kinilabutan si Ermin. Pare-pareho nilang nakita si Maria ng nakaraang gabi sa pare-parehong sitwasyong. Takang-taka pa rin siya kung saan naroon ang kanyang asawa. At habang tumatagal lalo siyang kinakabahan sa mga bagay na maaari niyang matuklasan. Mag-aalas siyete ng gabi, wala pa rin si Maria, nang biglang may kumatok sa kanilang pintuan. Dali-daling tumayo si Ermin para pagbuksan ang pinto. Inaasahan niyang si Maria na iyon. Ngunit, nang kanyang pagbuksan, bumungad sa kanya ang dalawang lalaking dayuhan. Ang dalawang lalaki ay mula sa Spanish Embassy. Ibinalita nila na noong isang araw. natagpuan ang bangkay ni Maria Labo na naaagnas sa ilalim ng kama ng amo nito sa Espanya. Ang among si Gustavo ay dating magaling na doktor na nabaliw dahil iniwan ng kanyang Filipinang asawa. Nasa mental hospital na si Gustavo habang ang katiwala naman nitong si Eduardo ay nakulong sa pagtatakip sa krimen ng kanyang amo. Hindi makuhang magsalita ni Ermin. Tiningnan niya ang buong kabahayan, inisip niya kung paanong patay na si Maria nang mahigit dalawang buwan, gayong dala-dala pa niya ang mga pera't kagamitan na nakikita niya sa paligid ng bahay. Hindi siya naniwala sa dalawang lalaki. Pinaalis niya ang mga ito at pinagsisigawan. Hinintay niya si Maria. Inisip niyang nagbakasyon lang ito sa kung saan at babalik na rin pagtagal-tagal. Hinintay niya nang hinintay ang kanyang asawa. Pagkalipas ng isang linggo dumating si Maria, ngunit, isa nang naaagnas na bangkay. (English Version) The Three Faces of Maria Labo By: Abelardo Gajarion 1. When militarization was widespread in the barrio, it caused disorder in the province of Sorsogon. The farmers and fishers have no abundant harvests. Many small businesses closed. The children can't go to schools. People can't almost go out of their houses. All are just waiting to be bombarded to die simultaneously. Except of Maria Labo. Near at the foot of the mountain, far from the barrio, living in a small hut made in cogon and bamboo, is where Maria and Ermin Labo lives. They had two children, Pablo and Rosalinda. Ermin is a farmer, while Maria was a vendor of their harvests in villages. When time came that they have no abundant harvest to their vegetable farm, Maria decided to go to her friend who was searching domestic helpers to go to Spain. She thought she will earn more by working overseas than selling vegetable which she can't even do because of war in their province. They mortgaged their farmland and the place where their house was, just for the payment of her placement fee. After three months, she was now gone to Spain. 2. Maria was brought in an old mansion in a village far from the city. She went down from a not-so-good-in-traveling bus at the front of a big and old gate made of metal. It was winded with a crawling plant. According to her agency who sent her, only an old man and his trustee live in the mansion where she's going to work. She went inside the gate which is partly open. Far from where she stands, she can see the whole gray mansion. Before she arriving there, she needs to walk almost two kilometers. The road was dusty, aligned with large trees in both sides. Upon arriving in the front of the mansion, Maria was shocked seeing a large door, almost three times of her height, made in wood sculpted by grapes and flowers as decorations. The whole mansion was made of cement. She noticed that the grass on its garden grew as tall as her knee. While the right part of the mansion was almost covered by the creeping plants. She knocked the door using the round metal hanging on a lion-shaped thing. She looked towards all directions, thinking she will see someone, however no one welcomed her. After five minutes of waiting, the door just opened voluntarily. It opened very slowly and it made an unpleasant sound as if it was closed for so long and it was opened for the first time. Upon entering, she saw no one. She hadn't seen the old man who devotedly watch her upon her arrival in the gate and while she's walking towards the mansion. Hola, como estas? (Hello, how are you?) Greeted by the man who came from the left corner of the mansion. Maria was shocked. She didn't thought a man wearing a beautiful clothes will just appear from no where. Soy Eduardo. Que te llamas? (I'm Eduardo. What's your name?) Maria don't know what to answer. Comprendes Espanol? (Can you understand Spanish?) She just shake her head. If she knows something in Spanish, she only knew a little on it. The guy stared at her before speaking English. Follow. Follow. Eduardo was the trustee of the mansion. He worked there for so many years. He was planning to quit now, but he can't do it till he finds the right woman to take care of his master. They took half a day to finish walking around the mansion. They inspect every room. And Eduardo explained to Maria her job. He stammeringly used English, even Maria can't understand much. Tienes hambre? (Are you hungry?) E, are you, e starved? Maria didn't know what to answer so she just nod. Eduardo noticed that Maria don't understand him. So he concluded that he found the girl he was searching for. Senor Gustavo wants to . . . e, hablar . . . e, speak to you . . . It was three months since Maria started to work there, but still they have difficulty in understanding and talking with each other. So its more easy for them to use sign language instead. In that three months, she had had a chance to go inside Mister Gustavo's room only two times. Eduardo said, in stammering and patching story, Mister Gustavo was sick for so many years ago, until now. It was very intricate, that's why no one must see him. The first time Maria had a chance to go inside Gustavo's room, they even got no chance of seeing each other. Eduardo just introduce her, however they're just standing in the door. In the side where Gustavo was resting, it was very dark that's why she can't clearly see the face of the old man. In the second time, Maria got a chance to go nearer Mr. Gustavo. She just get the urinal beside her master. His skin was wrinkled. His hair was so thin. His eyes are almost white. Before she departed Gustavo asked her. His voice was so low which Maria can't almost hear. Are you Filipina? Maria nodded, she understood the small question of her master. A, opo, si, si, Senor Gustavo. I am Filipina. Maria wondered why she was called by Gustavo even Eduardo was there to give his orders of whatever he needs. She thought some possible reasons. She left her work in the kitchen just to go to his room. Before going out of the kitchen, Eduardo give her some warnings. Maria, nunca (never), e, do not go out of the room if Senor Gustavo, e, is not asleep yet. She knocks slowly at the door of Mr. Gustavo's room. She went near to the old man. He signaled her to go nearer. It seemed her master was whispering something. Slowly, she brought her face nearer to Mr. Gustavo's. Maria was very nervous. She didn't even predicted that it'll be her last. Because when she go out, she'll be different from normal. 3Many changed to Maria's family since she came back from Spain. It was two months after she went back to Sorsogon, her province. All the people are very jealous of her when she arrived home. She had spent four months in the Spain, but she had brought many pasalubong (take homes) for that short time. She brought up expensive plates, utensils, and candelabra. Their land was on their hand again and they had built a new house. However, they (their neighbors) wondered why they haven't seen Maria go out of their house. They often wait her go out to visit their town but they have no chance of seeing her. Likewise, Ermin and his children didn't went outdoors. They are wondering very much of Maria's coldness to them. She's not talking, but she still remain caring and giving. At night, on the bed, Ermin hear her repressed cry. Whenever he attempts to touch her for comfort, he will always burn of coldness of her body. She seemed like an ice. Ermin blanketed and hugged her, but he felt somewhat like he was just hugging on a wind. One night, Ermin jump up while hearing Maria squealling at the window. When he woke up to see his wife, he was frightened seeing her bathed in blood. Her nick was slashed and blood spits on it. He went back from lying on the bed not noticeably awake, although he was very scared. He saw Maria passed through the wall. He was terrorized. He pretended sleeping when she went near him. He knew that she went close to him and stared at his face. He smelled the bad odor of the blood and the rotten flesh. He prayed that all were just a dream. And if he's in a nightmare, he prayed he'll be awake, and wished everything are back to normal. When he woke up the next day, Maria was not on her side. He looked for her every where in the house, but he find her nowhere. He also asked his children if they saw her, but like him, they didn't, starting last night. The children told Ermin that they dreamt of their mother crying in their room. Her body was full of blood. Her nick was slashed and the blood spit out from it. She went near them and kissed each of them, then when they woke up, they had seen nothing or even saw any evidence that their mother went there. Ermin felt horrible. All of them saw Maria last night in the same situation. Still he was wondering of where his wife might be. Time passed by, he feels more and more nervous to the things he might discover. Seven o'clock in the afternoon, still Maria was not home, when suddenly, they heard someone knocks at the door. Hastely, Ermin got up to open the door. He hoped it was Maria. But, when he opened, there was two foreigner standing. The two men came from the Spanish Embassy. They informed him that they saw the dead body of Maria Labo rotten under her master's bed in the Spain. Mr. Gustavo was an excellent doctor who became insane because his Filipina wife departed him. Now, Mr. Gustavo was brought to mental hospital while his trustee, Eduardo, was brought to jail from hiding the crime made by his master. Ermin can't talk. He look at the whole house. He can't that Maria was dead for almost two months, inspite all the moneys and things she brought home. He didn't believe on them. So he angrily told them to go away. He waited for Maria. He just think that she was on a vacation and she'll be home soon. He waited her wife for a long time. After some weeks Maria came, now . . . a rotten corpse.

About this

The story of Maria Labo has found its way in the local papers and true ghost story books so most probably, this story was partly true. It took fame at the midst of 2003. This story caused a stir in the city some 5 years ago. But according to the story Ang Tatlong Katauhan Ni Maria Labo (as shown above), she was not actually an aswang (vampire) but a victim of murber of a madman overseas. She came back with her moneys and things, however not with her body but a ghost instead. Before she departed her family, she'd put first them in good place.

Conclusion

Its impossible for her to visit every person in the same time in different places whenever she is remembered. There could be hundreds or thousands of people who might think of her. Then the question is - who would she visit first? And perhaps, the reason why her story became more horrible (that she transformed into a vampire) because of how she'd gone home as a ghost.

Source:
The Best of True Philippine Ghost Stories. 2008. Alexie Cruz Ed. PSICOM Publishing Inc.