By Richielyn Canlas
A routine jeepney ride turned into a nightmare for Clang Castro, who was suddenly stabbed by a woman during his morning commute in Anonas, Quezon City on June 9.
Castro, who was asleep while riding a jeepney at the time, woke up to the attack and was left bleeding as the assailant fled.
Despite his desperate pleas for help, neither the jeepney driver nor his fellow passengers assisted him, and passing motorists ignored his calls.
“Yung araw na ‘yun, nakita ko kung gano kasama at kawalang puso lahat ng tao dun na tinitignan lang ako at may pandidiri pa sa mga mukha nila,” Castro said.
Just as he feared being abandoned, off-duty firefighter Fire Officer 1 Mark Jayson Albania of Bureau of Fire Protection – Marikina (BFP-Marikina) spotted him and rushed to intervene.
Albania immediately placed the wounded commuter on his motorcycle and tried to get him admitted to the nearest hospital.
When the facility refused, he insisted on providing first aid before transferring Castro to Rizal Medical Center, where the victim requested to go.
The firefighter stayed with him until his family arrived, ensuring he was not left alone.
Castro is now in stable condition, though the attack has forced him to stop working while he recovers.
Authorities are still investigating the stabbing, with Castro expressing hope that the suspect will be arrested soon.
Meanwhile, BFP Officer-in-Charge Fire Chief Superintendent Wilberto Rico Neil A. Kwan Tiu commended Albania’s heroic action, saying it reflects the bureau’s core value of “Pusong Nag-aalab,” or compassion rooted in courage and service.
