By Ed O Barrita
Some 10,000 spectators braved the blistering heat of the sun to watch Gilbert Bargayo being crucified for the 17th time in Barangay Duljo-Fatima,
Cebu City last Good Friday.
Prior to his crucifixion, Bargayo, 52, carried a cross made of yakal, a hardwood, and walked one kilometer to the crucifixion site.
A
group of assistants dressed as Roman centurions and Pontius Pilate walked with him.
He was wearing a crown of twigs while the actor-soldiers whipped him in the back.
At one time, a bystander was told to carry the cross for Bargayo.
Before he was crucified, Bargayo gave last instructions to his assistants to make sure the nails are hammered on the right
spot.
At 2:15 p.m., Bargayo was hanging on the cross, flanked by two men tied to their own crosses.
Bargayo grimaced in pain as six-inch nails pierced his palms and feet for 45 minutes. It took 45 minutes to hammer all the nails in.
Bargayo looked calm as he watched the crowd from his perch.
An assistant thrust a sword into Bargayo’s chest, causing blood to flow.
The whole spectacle elicited various reactions from the crowd, some of whom were foreigners.
Stacy Law, a 35-year-old from North Carolina, said, “It’s nice to see this kind of culture but I think what he did was not necessary.â€
At 3 p.m., Bargayo was taken down from the cross and was given first aid by a medical team.
He asked the medical team to take him to the sea at the South Road Properties instead of the hospital.
Bargayo said he nearly fainted during his crucifixion because his arms were stretched incorrectly while his left palm bled profusely.
“I almost fainted because my arms were not positioned correctly and they removed the nails the wrong way. But other than that, everything’s OK,†he said.
He said he was happy about what he did. He said his dream is to build a chapel of his own.
But he said he cannot say if he will have himself crucified again next year as all depends on his health.
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Topic: Gilbert Bargayo Nailed 17th Time on Holy Week in Cebu (Read 1877 times)