Tomorrow (Sunday) I celebrate the 1 year anniversary of one of the most life changing events that I’ve ever had. Exactly 1 year ago, my girlfriend and I were held-up in an internet cafe that we usually hang out at. It was around 10PM and I was with her playing Ragnarok Online at Sakray because of the 40x EXP. Suddenly I felt a cold hard object being shoved to my head. When I turned around, there was this ugly stinking mother fucker pointing his 45 caliber pistol at me. I can’t really remember how many they were. Two of them moved around and forcibly took the cell phones, wallets, and valuables of all the people playing at the shop. I was actually resigned to losing all my stuff, what was important was that me and Mich (my gf) get through the ordeal. However, things became worse when one of the thugs decided to put his dirty hands on my girlfriend. Things became ugly though when he decided to point the gun to her. At that point, there was no more logic in my brain, I quickly got up and got into the fight of my life. Warning, this is not for the faint of heart.
I was able to knock the gun away and even got to throw the bastard to the ground. The shop owner, who was my good friend, also got up and was able to subdue the other robber. However, we never saw the other guy who was to my far left. Three resounding gunshots broke the silence. There was no pain, only heat and dizziness. After what seemed like an eternity, my knees buckled as I slipped on a pool of my own blood. To make a long story short, the robbers ran for it and even hi-jacked a car to get away. I was rushed to the hospital by my family who arrived shortly. I had three major wounds, one near my shoulder and two more at my back.
Eventually we reached East Avenue Hospital, which was a government hospital. If you thought that the worst part of this story was me getting shot, THINK AGAIN. To quote an article in the Manila Times:
The victim, Carlo San Juan Ople, grandson of the late statesman Blas F. Ople, was rushed to the East Avenue Medical Center (EAMC) for treatment of his gunshot wound. He cried in great pain not because of the wound that affected his lungs but because he was operated on without anesthesia.
Yes, you read that right. No friggin anesthetics! The doctor took a knife, slit my side open and poked my lung until he made a hole. He then proceeded to insert a tube that would drain the blood from my lungs into a bottle. When asked by my tita if there were any anesthetics, the doctor simply replied “May dala po ba kayo?”
Anyway, the obvious and good thing is I survived. Thanks to my girlfriend and my family, I was able to heal rather quickly. After the incident at East Avenue, they moved me to Medical City and they operated on me two more times. One to insert another tube to drain blood in my other lung, and one more to take out the bullets. I got out after 8 days. 
If you want to read my original recount of this experience, just head on over to my old live journal by clicking here.
What’s the point of posting this? Please take care when you go to internet cafes. Make sure that the place is well lit and that it has good lighting. Cafes with dark lights that have posters that cover the windows are open invitations to robbers. If you’re a cafe owner, please take into consideration the welfare of your customers. If you can invest in security like cameras or even guards, please do so. I can only pray that only a few people will have to go through this ordeal.
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si wauks idol na kta tapang mo!
buti nka GR ka!!
nka asura ka pa ng isa!! idol! :go:
:sob:
good thing you survived sir wauks
lucky gf
basta pg-gf n tinatapakan, ipaglalaban ng papatayan
your the hero of the day /no1
hapi 1year 2nd life :heh:
Most small time computer shop owners would not invest in security because the overhead expenses from shop assistants are already killing them.
Here’s an experience, Netopia rarely has time to clean up their PCs because there are existing viruses, spywares, and keylogging programs in “some” Netopia branches.
Sir Wauks, some things happen for a reason. You survived because it also had a reason. ^_^
Boss Wauks idol… :no1:
I agree with no.53
Talagang sa Netopia sa amin talgang panay virus at malware… Mas malinis pa ata comp ko sa bahay eh….
Kasi naman ung ibang users nila di nila tinitignan un pala pumapasok na sa mga “sites”… Tapos sira-sira pa headset amfff…
Ok back to the topic, Sir Wauks IDOL!!!!
Gagawin ko rin yan sa GF ko yun eh kung magkakaGF pa ako hahahahaha…. Dapat gumamit ka ng HIGH SPEED CART RAM….
@Wauks
Bulacan k din ba?dmi bulacan..ehehe
which is why one of my shopowner friends have a shotgun underneath his “command table” in case of holdup.
Heh, reminds me of the time I got ganged up and beaten unconscious by some thugs over at my street.
I was on my way home when some guys began to run towards me, really freaked me out so I ran, slipped past them and screamed for help. As I turned the corner another group came my way, one of them punched me so hard (in addition to my very fast running) that to this day the bone below my left eye is still sunken (and hurts like crap, even though it’s been almost 4 years after the incident). Aside from hitting my face onto the pavement, the last things I heard before going unconscious were “tara nakawan na natin ‘to”.
Based on what I learned later on, I guess I ended up smack dab in the middle of a gang fight that started over some basketball foul-up. First three that I met thought I was part of the other group, then the four that beat me up must’ve thought I was with the first three.
In any case, I was told that I was left for dead (actually unconscious) for around two and a half hours before some tricycle drivers found me and brought me to the nearest hospital. Relatives, being doctors, thought to help stitch me up, but were horrified at how I looked and couldn’t bear to face me, let alone treat me. My dad suggested I be transferred to QCGH, and good thing too: the IDIOTS at the hospital I first was in didn’t do shit to me when I first arrived AND charged P450 for a wet towel that my sister used to staunch the bleeding.
[ Thank God I was just barely conscious and too numb to react at the time. Kinda sad to think though, that the very hospital I was born in, never bothered to care for me when I needed it the most. ]
I’d really like to thank all the nurses and doctors of Quezon City General Hospital that treated me that day (which I’ll never forget… I got beaten up on Mother’s Day around 1 am), because they gave me FULL treatment, stitches, bandages and all. Not only that, the only payment they asked for was a donation to their supplies.
Maybe some day I’ll be able to repay them…
Glad you made it kuya Wauks :no1:
the “operation” the doctor did was a chest tube thoracotomy insertion and was most probably life-saving (more life-saving than physically taking out the bullet from your side, because you were probably more likely to die from blood pooling inside the cavity that holds you lungs than the actual damage the bullet did)
and yes, the procedure is often done WITHOUT the benefit of anesthesia, especially in emergent situations such as yours. what he did was INCREDIBLY painful no doubt, but probably saved your life.
you should actually thank the MD for his quick thinking. :no1: sometimes the rigors of working in a government hospital drains at your tact and manners kaya baka parang masungit and thoughtless ang dating nya. :heh: but it appears he knew what he was doing.
anyway, congratulations on your recovery. :e11: keep up the good work. :no1:
Ouch. :sob2:
Ok I just came across this site. I can’t believe you risked your life for Ragnarok Online!!! Just kidding… I hope when I’m faced with a situation when my loved ones are in danger, I can be as brave as you.