Trader claims NBI agents mauled him

A businessman engaged in the import and export business has accused some agents of the National Bureau of Investigation escorting a court sheriff from Manila of mauling him last December 17 in his house in barangay Banilad.

Benson Chua, 57, a resident of Kingfisher Street, Sto. Niño Village, Banilad, said at least 12 NBI agents and 15 hired men went to his rented house along with ex-officio sheriff Carol Bulacan from National Capital Judicial Region of Quezon City to enforce a “writ of possession” last Monday.

The order was in relation to a case filed by a woman lawyer who once represented Chua’s former wife during their annulment case a few years ago.

Chua said the annulment case was already been decided through an agreement and he was told to pay the said lawyer P164,000 for her service to his wife as counsel.

But a few months later, the said lawyer allegedly sent a demand letter asking him to pay P4.5 million for unclear reasons, but he suspected that the lawyer was asking for a percentage from the proceeds of the parcel of a lot in Talisay City that he owned.

  But because this was not included in the agreement, Chua refused to obey and decided to file a disbarment case against the said lawyer, Chua’s counsel Efren Ramirez said.

Chua, 57, questioned why the sheriff brought NBI agents and not the police to enforce a writ involving a civil case.

“What is the real motive or intentions of the show of force to my home, I’m not a criminal,” Chua said.

In his prepared statement he said the agents tried to force their way to his house to take whatever they wanted.

Ramirez said the writ that Bulacan was carrying was defective as it did not authorize the bearers to force their way in, nevertheless the group forced their way to the main entrance.

Chua arrived and questioned the sheriff’s premature implementation of the writ as the case was still pending in court and that finality of the writ has not reached the 15 days from the date of receipt.

Chua’s landlord Peter Po reportedly showed the agents a copy of the writ of injunction issued by Cebu City RTC Branch 10 dated November 16 in order to prevent them from implementing the writ from Manila but the group allegedly did not heed to the court order.

While all these was happening he said the woman lawyer was inside a black Kia Sportage van giving orders to the agents and the hired men to go inside at all costs.

He said five agents then took turns in hitting him and it was only the cries of his 23-year-old daughter Mei Lyn that made them stop.

Chua plans to ask NBI-7 director Medardo Delemos for a line-up of NBI agents to be conducted so he can identify those responsible.

Delemos was not available for comment yesterday.

Last May 14, 2005 Chua was held by immigration agents at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport while on his way to Los Angeles to attend a show for his products after he was accused of being Johny See, who uses several aliases including Benson Chua, Jason Chua and Usbano Chua.

He was held for three hours at the airport and claimed he lost millions of pesos in business opportunities for this delay.  He was freed later after the Department of Justice issued a clearance for him, the said clearance serves as his pass to those who might again try to arrest him again for mistaken identity. — Edwin Ian Melecio/BRP