Mananabas

While I was browsing my e-mail messages (philurbanlegends@ymail.com), I stumbled upon a private message from one of our readers - Grace Batarina. I would like to thank her first for contributing the story.

I already heard rumors about this Mananabas they called, but her version is much different than mine and I never have a knowledge that this monster was plaguing Pangasinan and Baguio

In my own version (the story I heard), this Mananabas is acting like the cult I already featured here - taking one of your slippers you left outside the house. The next evening, he will knock on your door and kills the owner through beheading. Much worse, not only you but also your whole family.

What is a Mananabas? (Pangasinan)

Mananabas is a Tagalog word more often used to refer to people cutting rice or the like during harvest. So obviously they use the tool called sickle. The same tool the said killer is using in murdering whoever he like to. He is much synonymous to the Grim Ripper but his tool is scythe.

In this urban legend, the Mananabas is named, and possibly a real person whose story spread and evolved into a much scary and detailed act of killing. I remember Warlito Toledo in this.

Who is the Mananabas

Back in January of 2002 , according to a local news paper, the name of the killer is Pefecto Rivera Picardal. He is about 26 to 30 years old from Payukpok, Bauang, La Union. He was the suspect in killing his four wives. The first victim was from Ilocos Sur, and the last one was killed on October 21, 2001 whose name is Arceli Oliveros Catabay, a resident of Barangay San Jose, Bani.

He was also pointed suspect in killing Rodolfo and Consuelo Arellano in December 13, 2001. The main reason of killing is his jealousy over his wife Catabay. There could have been an affair between Rodolfo and Arceli.

But the rumor didn't end up in identifying the Mananabas of Pangasinan. There's another one roaming over Baguio. This is a different story though, and a different individual with another version of gossip.

Who is the Mananabas? (Benguet)

According to another story, the Mananabas of Baguio is an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who murdered his entire family not with a sickle, but of a Bolo. The same reason why Picardal killed his wives - infidelity. It was said that after beheading his partner, he placed the mutilated head on a kaldero (pot). In addition to his story, he was said to roam the night and preys on female victims while carrying the head of his wife.

His version is a lot more an urban legend than that of Picardal. Well aside of being unknown, the way how the tale goes is much unreal especially when they added fantasy on it.

This version is almost similar to the one I know, but he didn't steal slippers of his victims. He chants a spell on the foot ware inducing the owner to come out of the house and kill her instantly. That's the reason why his victims are always found in front of their houses.

However, no cases recorded involving the Baguio Mananabas, making the story not credible. I would rather believe on the Pangasinan Mananabas, though he didn't killed any one aside of those mentioned in his story. I don't know if Perfecto Picardal was already captured.

Sources:
http://forum.pinoypc.net/index.php?topic=37154.20
http://www.philstar.com/probinsiya/148326/mamumugot-gumagala-sa-pangasinan
Contributor:
Grace Batarina

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