Lonely perch on Fernan Bridge

CEBU, Philippines - A man who has been on top of one of the piers of the Marcelo Fernan Bridge for over 24 hours now has not yet descended from his perch as of press time last night.

Lapu-Lapu City policemen are still clueless as to the identity of the said man who has been on the bridge tower since Wednesday afternoon as none of his friends or relatives have come to their office to identify him.

His presence on the tower has already caught the attention of passing motorists and caused traffic along the bridge.

PO1 John Philip Silmaro of the Lapu-Lapu City Police told The FREEMAN that the said man, who had with him a bolo and a rosary, was able to climb to the top of the tower using a wooden ladder.

Before he climbed he also destroyed a traffic sign and took the wooden board with him to shield himself from the sun and rain.

After the police received the report they immediately conducted an operation to save the man.

They then monitored the man through a CCTV camera on the said bridge but minutes later they lost visual contact with the man. Silmaro said that they believe the man cut off the wire of the said camera and used it to tie his ladder.

The man was later seen lying on the tower as if sleeping around 8 p.m. last Wednesday. Silmaro said it seemed the man attempted to jump but did not continue.

Police tried to negotiate with the man to convince him to go back down but to no avail. Later Bureau of Fire Protection personnel used a ladder truck to talk to him, they also offered him food and water but instead of accepting it, the man tried to attack the rescuer with his bolo.

Lapu-Lapu City Police Office Director Sr. Supt. Anthony Obenza ordered his men to leave the area around 2 a.m. the next day when the man showed no signs of interest in going down. But some policemen were posted in the area to monitor the man.

A team from the Philippine Coast Guard was also stationed below the bridge to save the man in case he decided to jump from the bridge tower.

Motorists and passersby are now calling him “Spiderman”. –/BRP (FREEMAN)