Priests turn into war freaks at Subic

The Philippine Star By Efren Danao

Six peace-loving Catholic priests from Zambales turned into virtual war freaks when they tried the newest craze at the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) — the paintball war games.

Aaron Pratt, a former US Marine sergeant supervising the tactical paintball facility in a joint venture with the SBMA, decidedly got more than he bargained for when he asked the priests to join the paintball test run.

"I almost had a heart attack!" said the barrel-chested Pratt of the unexpected show of aggression by the priests.

Pratt said he asked the six priests to the facility because he wanted to have it blessed, then invited them to try the games.

The priests donned the mandatory masks and body shields, divided themselves into offensive and defensive teams, then took the guns using CO2-propelled paintballs as "bullets."

The guns are more powerful than those using spring, compressed air or batteries, and the paintballs "deadlier" than the more commonly used pellets.

"A person hit by a pellet can deny being hit, but a person hit by a paintball cannot. The paintball bursts upon impact and splatters paint on the target," Pratt said.

The priests obviously found the guns and the paintballs to their liking. Two of those on the offensive side acted like real marauders as they zigzagged across the "terrain" and drew closer to their "enemies."

The guns were so powerful that they were not supposed to be fired at a target closer than 20 meters. The priests, however, kept on shooting even at a shorter distance, while the audience viewing the "war games" cheered them on.

Meanwhile, the two priests inside a foxhole refused to get out, probably scared by the sound of the paintballs hitting the sandbags, the dirt and their body shields.

Pratt blew his whistle to signal the two sides to stop when they came closer than 20 feet. Those inside the trench went out but those on the other side continued shooting while shouting.

"I never realized some priests could have such suppressed aggressive character!" an amused SBMA chairman Felicito Payumo said.

After the break, the priests said they would return to the SBMA facility one more time.

"We will bring along our bishop!" one joked.

Payumo said they decided to try the paintball facility after realizing that there is a market for this activity.

Pratt and Payumo are now finalizing a plan to use the forests and a bunker for the games.

They said that more than a game, the paintball facility could serve as an excellent training ground for commando operation, including hostage-rescue operation.

"Unlike in a combat shooting sport where one shoots at a silhouette, a shooter in paintball also gets shot at," Pratt said.

Pratt and Payumo expressed confidence that the new game could add more excitement to those going to the SBMA.

"There is no other paintball facility for offensive and defensive positions in the entire Asia," Pratt pointed out.