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Raymond Bayless - from Experiences of a Psychical Researcher

An interesting case of rock throwing was reported in The Daily Mirror, in the Philippines, October 26, 1964, which told of stones being tossed at Ernesto Rabanzos, a fourteen-year-old waif who had been staying with a family who had rescued him.

The article stated that the home of his benefactors, the Santos family, who lived in a small village, Tabing Llog, had been bombarded by rocks ever since the boy began living with them. Eventually, Santos, suspecting his neighbors of malicious mischief, filed criminal proceedings against them, but the case was dismissed due to a lack of evidence as to who was to blame. The boy was given into the custody of a civic leader and, in turn, this woman's home became the target of the unseen attacker.

The boy's benefactress said that she could not blame the child for the bombardment inasmuch as he was "always asleep" when the stones were hurled at the besieged house.

The police were finally called in to guard the residence, but still the rocks struck the house. Eventually the boy was taken by the parish priest and placed in the local convent. But this structure then became the target of flying stones. The priest exorcized his church and stated that he would attempt to turn the child over to Boys' Town in Marilina, Rizal. This in essence is the substance of the newspaper article.

I wrote to Father Jose M. Salas, who kindly replied, giving me a short history of the case.

The boy had been found begging in the nearby city of Caloocan and had been taken, out of pity, to the home of his benefactress, where he lived for two years doing errands and playing with the other children but, as Father Salas noted, he was "quite naughty" and did not wish to study. The stonings began during the night and then even during the day and, in spite of the fact that many people watched the house, no culprit could be found. The boy was transferred to the home of a relative, but for ten days the bombardment continued.

As Father Salas wrote, the rocks, if collected, could have filled "half a sack of rice of one hundred pounds." The house stood near a river, and it was noted that the missiles seemed to have been taken from its bed, but to negate this supposition it was also noted that the rocks were quite dry.

Again the boy was transferred to another house, but the stonings continued, and the child was taken to the priest. Father Salas wrote that the bombardment still followed the boy, and his rectory was struck first during the night and then during the day, and various windows were smashed. He stated that the worst stoning occurred on October 20, 1964, between the hours of 8:30 and 11:00 a.m., when more than one hundred rocks were collected. Many people witnessed the event.

On November 3, 1964, Father Salas took the boy to Boys' Town and there the case rested. I wrote, of course, to various other people involved in one way or another in the case, but with the exception of a kind letter from Mr. Antonia c. Padua, who originally directed me to Father Salas, no further information was forthcoming. But I think that it is perfectly obvious that a typical case of poltergeist had occurred.