" At the airport , the porters refused to carry the Beatles' luggage , leaving them struggling to get through the crowds . When they entered the terminal , the escalator to take them to the first-floor check-in was turned off . They then made the mistake of making a dash for the desks , thinking that by cutting down on time they would make themselves less vulnerable . However , the sight of four fleeing Beatles drew even more attention , and soon they found people chasing after them who did not know what the pursuit was about .
Fights broke out . Citizens loyal to Marcos ( or possibly undercover agents ) were determined to show their displeasure by roughing up the Beatles . Ringo and John were apparently both punched . Brian Epstein was knocked to the ground , and Mal Evans was kicked so hard his leg bled . This had all been orchestrated by the airport manager , Willy Jurado , who himself joined the melee in the belief that to protect the honor of the Marcos family was to protect the honor of the Filipino people . In 1984 , now living in San Francisco , Jurado was happy to boast of his activities . " I beat up the Beatles , " he told Bob Secter of the Los Angeles Times , who was researching a story on the Marcos regime . " I really thumped them . First I socked Epstein and he went down ...... Then I socked Lennon and Ringo in the face . I was kicking them . They were pleading like frightened chickens . That is what happens when you insult the First Lady . "
After playing the bad cop , Jurado then played the good cop by waving off fellow attackers and getting the Beatles to a desk for their papers to be sorted . He asked for a gangway to be created to expedite them , but as they headed for the plane there was more cuffing , pushing , and spitting . When some fans of the group started crying because of the mistreatment of their heroes , the rest of the crowd turned on them as if they were traitors . "