The Curse of the Aswang

The urban legend starts with my grandfather (my paternal

grandmother’s brother) sharing to me an unforgettable story

which he knows of since he was still a newly married man to his

wife who is a native of Panitan, Capiz. Lolo Moises, as I would

call him, recounts the story of a man named Eloy.

Eloy was a resident of Panitan, Capiz and was popular among

his fellow townsfolk as tall, buff, and brusque. His complexion

was dark and his forehead constantly giving off a slight scowl.

Eloy was also feared by many because not only of his physical

looks, but his menacing stance for he always brings his bolo

with him. No one really dares to pick up a fight against Eloy,

but Eloy was naturally a peace-loving person who would quietly

prefer to avoid fights or confrontation.

The townspeople of Panitan, Capiz were also aware of the

fact that Eloy has distant relatives who are aswang. However,

Eloy is not so proud of having such relatives.

One late evening, Eloy was visited at his house by two

middle-aged people (husband and wife) who introduced themselves

as his relatives. Eoly immediately took note of the two persons

who visited him having bloodshot eyes, crooked fingers, and

having a funky smell. At first he allowed them to go inside his

living room and have a little chitchat. As the conversation with

his relatives progressed, Eloy became uncomfortable for no

apparent reason which made him prompt them to leave. After they

left, Eloy felt like he was being possessed and tried to snap

the eerie feeling by drinking cold water from the banga.

A few weeks later the suspected aswang relatives of Eloy

visited him again in his house, this time bringing and offering

him gifts. The suspected aswang offered some food and a live

chicken, but Eloy bluntly refused. Eloy asked them to leave and

told them he can no longer entertain them and has got no time to

“befriend” distant relatives. As Eloy escorted them out of the

house, the husband told Eloy that he will regret shooing them

away and refusing their gifts. Eloy knew that the gifts would is

a way to only entice him to join their crew and the

conversations as way to yanggaw him. Eloy did not see them again

after more than a week.

More than a week later, while Eloy was walking home from

work, the suspected aswang-relative appeared before him and

blocked his path. The human-looking person suddenly turned into

ugly creatures with very scrawny faces and arms with their hair

standing until its ends. Since Eloy was bigger than the aswang,

he tried to attack it using his bolo. Eloy and the male aswang

wrestled with each other until the aswang lost strength and

decided to flee.
 The next day the story went wildfire around the town and

the residents cheered on Eloy for bravely putting up a fight and

defeating an aswang.

A few days later, while Eloy was walking along the road

past 11 in the evening, he saw a banana tree shaking violently

with its leaves almost falling off the trunk. He saw a

silhouette of a carabao and decided to shrug it off for he

thought it was an aswang. There were people and well-lit houses

a few blocks away hence he surmised that the aswang might not

dare to appear. However, they did appear before him this time

not alone but rather three of them. Eloy, despite being

outnumbered, grabbed his bolo and wrestled with the aswangs.

Since the ruckus was near the houses, people were alarmed and

got off their beds to see what the commotion is all about.

One of the residents Tatay Julio, an old man who was good

in .22 caliber rifle, ran towards the brawl and helped Eloy. He

aimed his rifle towards the aswang and released the first shot.

The first shot made a sound (explosive sound). The second,

third, and consecutive shots from the rifle did not make a

sound. It is believed, that when you shoot at an aswang and the

gunshot exploded, the aswang was not hit. However, if the

gunshot did not make a sound or was silent, that means the

aswang has been hit. Going back, since the old man was good in
aiming his rifle, successfully hit the aswangs and the latter

were forced to flee.

From then on not an aswang was seen on Panitan nor near its

vicinity. Eloy decided to leave Panitan and transfer somewhere

else for the reason that he wanted to seek a better job. Years

later, Eloy went back to his hometown Panitan saying he will

retire there. The residents welcomed him back and chitchatted

with him. The residents however noticed that Eloy was not the

same Eloy they knew before he left Panitan. Eloy was, according

to them, was oddly shifty, always twitching involuntarily, and

his sentences sometimes do not make sense anymore. He was always

spaced-out and cannot recognize names of his former

acquaintances.

The residents believed Eloy was never the same again ever

since he left Panitan and after his encounters with the aswang.

They believe that perhaps it was because he drank cold water

after he fought the aswang and/or the real Eloy is already dead

and the one who returned to Panitan was no longer him, but a

shape shifter aswang that conducted a bayluhanay.

Interviewee: Moises Maravilla

Age: 80

Address: Batan, Aklan

Trivia: His wife is a native of Panitan, Capiz hence this story.