Along the streets of Makati in the Philippines, a photographer witnessed a scene resembling a movie. William Roberts shared on Instagram that he saw a head emerge from a street drain while walking home from the gym.

The photos captured by Roberts show the woman climbing out of the drain and approaching him. A person, believed to be from the military or police, called after her and gave chase. Motorists, pedestrians, and a traffic officer were “stunned, confused, maybe even a little amused”.

Local authorities inspected the drain and found cloth and steel pieces inside. The Makati City Police identified the woman as a street dweller often seen near the city’s medical centre. The police coordinated with the Makati Commercial Estate Association to inspect the drain and install a cover to prevent similar incidents.

Roberts described the scene as movie-like, noting the woman appeared disoriented and panicked. He lost sight of her in the crowd and traffic. He returned to the drain and found it was larger than he thought. Local authorities gathered to fix the drain after his post.

Roberts later identified the woman as BB, through a man named Jerwin, who claimed to be her partner. Jerwin mentioned another person from their community had climbed out of the same drain and clarified that they do not live in the canals.