Pangandaman says mediation offers made on golf brawl

ILIGAN CITY – Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman disclosed yesterday that certain individuals have approached his family offering to mediate an amicable settlement of the criminal charges filed in connection with the brawl at the golf course in Antipolo City last Dec. 26 involving his two sons.

Pangandaman said he is open to an amicable settlement but pointed out that his sons have already filed a formal complaint and stressed that they were not the ones at fault.

Delfin de la Paz, 56, and his son Bino Lorenzo, 14, filed two counts of slight physical injuries and three counts of child abuse charges against Secretary Pangandaman’s sons Mayor Nasser Pangandaman Jr., 27, of Masiu, Lanao del Sur and his brother Muhammed Hussein before the Antipolo City prosecutor’s office last Monday.

De la Paz’s daughter and star witness Marie Dhel or Bambee, 18, accompanied the complainants.

Lawyer Ted Pastrana and the Pangandaman brothers appeared at the same prosecutor’s office two hours later to file physical injuries charges against De la Paz and Bino.

They also filed an additional grave coercion and light threats against Delfin, Bino, Bambee, and Bruce de la Paz who arrived in the golf course armed with a baseball bat, and Mrs. Maridel de la Paz who was armed with a bladed weapon.

De la Paz said the quarrel started when Nasser Jr. breached golf etiquette by overtaking their flight at the South Course of the Valley Golf and Country Club.

Secretary Pangandaman reiterated that his family will consider an out-of-court settlement.

“I’m open to that but I just would like to emphasize here that we did not instigate the incident. My sons did not instigate the incident,” he told reporters.

He said it would not be prudent for him to reach out to the De la Pazes because “it might be construed that it was our fault.”

He said some individuals have been calling offering to mediate. “I cannot comment on that except there are some who approached us. I know them personally,” Pangandaman said.

He said his sons also informed him that some friends also offered to help both sides reach an amicable settlement.

“But then again, the case is already there... let’s wait for the outcome of the case. Again, I would like to reiterate I am extending my apologies in behalf of the family to the public for this very unfortunate incident that happened,” he said.

“I would just like to appeal to the bloggers. My family is very much affected by this and I would just like to appeal to them to stop this. Anyway cases were filed already and my sons have also filed a case yesterday. I think let’s leave it at that and let’s await the outcome,” he said.

Meanwhile, Secretary Pangandaman and Nasser Jr. failed to appear for questioning yesterday at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Pastrana, counsel of the Pangandamans, said the secretary was on official trip with President Arroyo in Mindanao while Nasser Jr. is in Masiu, Lanao del Sur.

Pastrana said the Pangandamans have not yet received a subpoena or a formal invitation from the NBI.

“We will contact the NBI as to the reports that it sent letters inviting my clients to appear at the bureau,” he said.

Pastrana said that he would first ask the NBI about the nature of the invitation for his clients to appear at the bureau.

Edward Villarta, chief of the NBI-National Capital Region (NCR), said the bureau had sent a letter requesting the Pangandamans to appear on Jan. 6 at the bureau to give their side of the story.

Villarta said they already took the statements of six caddies who supposedly witnessed the mauling.

The NBI also got statements of four club personnel, including the manager of the clubhouse of the Valley Golf and Country Club in Antipolo City.  – With Sandy Araneta