A bad Sinulog memory

With the Sinulog revelry taking place alongside the activities of the Fiesta Señor some people party as hard --if not harder-- than they pray. We really cannot blame them; the Sinulog celebration has become famous not just nationwide but also worldwide for the shows and the parties and celebrations that follow them.

And this is where we have to be careful. In celebrating our faith and culture alongside the visitors who come for them, it is easy for us to overindulge. Unfortunately this also the time when illegal substances become easy to obtain given how many people are looking to celebrate or enjoy in more ways than one.

Yes we are talking about party drugs or other substances that are said to “enhance” the party experience.

We should all remember the case of Ashley Abad, 19, who collapsed during a Sinulog concert in 2019 and was taken to the hospital where she died the following day. Her death was blamed on the party drug ecstasy, although it was not quite certain how it ended up in her system.

If there has been any development in the case --the boyfriend was suspected of slipping ecstasy into her drink and charged for homicide-- there seems to be no news about it.

It caused quite the scandal and marred the reputation of the Sinulog celebration. Thankfully, Abad’s death seems to have been the last to happen during the Sinulog celebrations for the past few years.

However, we don’t want a repeat of the incident ever again.

All care must be taken that celebrations taking place during the Sinulog festivities must be “clean”. This is easier said than done considering, as we said earlier, how many vices become available during times of revelry.

Of course, the biggest responsibility for “responsible” celebration falls to the reveler himself or herself. Playing it safe is always the key. There is really no need for drugs or other prohibited substances to enhance an experience. Those looking to force a good memory upon themselves might just end up with a bad memory, or worse.