Student arrested in Philippines

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Friday June 21st, 2013

 A PAPUA New Guinean national was arrested on Tuesday night after he allegedly caused a commotion inside a bar on A.S. Fortuna Street in Mandaue City, Cebu, in the Philippines.

According to a report in the Sun.Star Cebu, Jason Lokani, 24, was brought to the Casuntingan police station after allegedly smashing a bottle of beer.

Lokani’s behaviour provoked two men, who struck him in the head with a stone. 

Lokani ran outside but the men chased him.

A police officer who was passing by on his motorcycle saw the foreigner running and asked the chasing men what the commotion was all about.

The men told the officer that Lokani was armed with a knife. 

He arrested the Papua New Guinean and brought him to the police station.

Lokani was then brought to the Mandaue City Hospital to treat the wound to his head and undergo a liquor test, where he tested positive.

Police investigators said Lokani drank vodka inside his rented house in Mandaue before going to the bar around 10pm.

Lokani told the police he was carrying a knife to open a bottle of beer and for self-protection. 

He said he did not mean to harm anyone with the knife.

He said he had only been in Cebu for a month, studying computer engineering in one of the local universities. 

He said he got himself drunk because he was homesick.

Lokani was charged with possession of deadly weapon and violation of the City ordinance against drunkenness at the Mandaue City Prosecutor’s Office yesterday.

Last Friday night, two Papua New Guinea nationals were also arrested after they allegedly got wild and accidentally injured a man in Barangay Banilad, Cebu.

The foreign nationals were brought to the Cebu City Medical Centre for a liquor test, which showed them to be positive of alcohol content.

The pair was detained at the Mabolo police station, but was released after Bandalan decided not to press charges.

Manolong told Sun.Star Cebu the foreign nationals were reportedly studying in Cebu City in different colleges. They were temporarily staying in a dormitory-type building in Barangay Banilad.