Golf brawl complainants won't back out from case versus Pangandaman

The victims who were allegedly beaten up by the sons of Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman during a quarrel at a golf course in Antipolo City last Dec. 26 vowed yesterday to push through with the charges against the suspects.

Businessman Delfin de la Paz, 56, and his son Bino Lorenzo, 14, said they would not entertain any out-of-court settlement with the suspects, led by Pangandaman’s sons Mayor Nasser Pangandaman Jr. of Masiu, Lanao del Sur, and Hussein, and their companions during an altercation at the Valley Golf and Country Club in Antipolo.

Nasser Jr. claimed that what he did was only in self-defense after the elder De la Paz attacked him with a golf umbrella.

The quarrel started when De la Paz claimed that Nasser Jr. breached golf etiquette by overtaking them at the South Course of the Valley Golf and Country Club.

The elder De la Paz said he and his son would push through with the filing of physical injuries and child abuse charges against the sons of Secretary Pangandaman.

Senior Superintendent Ireneo Dordas, Rizal provincial police director, said he talked with the elder De la Paz who insisted that they would not back down in the court battle against the Pangandamans.

Dordas had regularly talked to De la Paz since the police provided security to the victims who have been receiving death threats.

“He bluntly told me that he would push through with the filing of the charges against the sons of Secretary Pangandaman. He felt bad about the incident because the suspects ganged up on his teenage son despite the pleadings of his 18-year-old daughter,” said Dordas.

Chief Superintendent Perfecto Palad, Southern Tagalog police director, had provided the De la Paz family with two mobile patrol cars to secure them for 24 hours following the death threats.

Dordas said De la Paz claimed that Secretary Pangandaman did not join the mauling but the Cabinet member did not intervene to stop his sons from beating the De la Pazes.

Dordas said De la Paz also refused to entertain any negotiation for an out-of-court settlement. “They should talk to my lawyers,” Dordas quoted the elder De la Paz as saying.

The Rizal police said the filing of charges against the sons of Secretary Pangandaman was delayed due to the absence of prosecutors at the Antipolo City prosecutor’s office because of the long Christmas holiday.

“We will file a case as soon as a prosecutor reports for work at the city prosecutor’s office,” Dordas said.

The camp of Pangandaman has informed investigators that they would go to the Antipolo City police to air their side on the mauling incident.

Secretary Pangandaman also appealed to critics to stop posting blogs on the Internet because his family is “already hurting.”

“My conscience is clear,” he said. “They should stop it. They should think also that they have their own family that could be hurt. Wait for the investigation to find out the truth,” Pangandaman told The STAR.

The Pangandamans were in Subic, Zambales, where they took a “much-needed break” amid the controversy.

Secretary Pangandaman reiterated that De la Paz and his children started the squabble that eventually led to a brawl at Valley Golf.

He denied that he abused his authority. “People who know me can attest we are not that kind of people. I’m not the type who abuses my authority,” he added.

Pangandaman said he would not yield to calls for his resignation over the Valley Golf incident.

“My job has nothing to do with the incident,” he added.

He said what the De la Pazes have been saying are already libelous. “Maybe we will see each other in court. The more they talk, the more they become inconsistent,” he said.      – With Sandy Araneta