Mabanto forgives Japanese accuser

CEBU, Philippines - Mandaue City Prosecutor Bienvenido Mabanto, Jr. has accepted the apology of Japanese national Tamotso Miyauchi who accused him of mauling.

Miyauchi made his apology public by publishing the same in the three local newspapers .

“At least, na-vindicated ko nga wala ko gyud na siya kulataha. Pait kaayo nang pasanginlan nga nangulata oi,” Mabanto said.

Mabanto demanded the public apology during the pre-trial of the four cases he filed against Miyauchi. The four cases – direct assault to a person in authority, malicious mischief, physical injuries and unjust vexation – will be dismissed provisionally.

Mabanto and Miyauchi figured in a heated verbal altercation in the middle of M.C. Briones when Mabanto was on his way to the Mandaue Hall of Justice in barangay Subangdaku to pick up a fellow prosecutor. They were to go to the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel where Mabanto was to receive his award of recognition from Department of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.

Mabanto, the vice chairman of Mandaue City’s Traffic Management Board for the past 20 years, explained that there was no traffic altercation that occurred that day.

“Stop pa ang traffic lights. Unya kani nga Japanese, nisulod gyud sa tunga bisan gamay kaayo ang lugar then all of the sudden I heard a loud noise kay iya diay gihapak akong auto,” Mabanto said.

He said he disembarked on his car and introduced himself as a government prosecutor and the one in-charge of the city’s traffic, but Miyauchi reportedly said he does not care and he does not know the prosecutor.

He then held the hand rail of Miyauchi’s motorcycle to prevent the latter from speeding away as he called for police assistance.

But the Japanese reportedly told him in a loud voice, “No police. Always ask money, very bad.”

While they traded words, Mabanto fell on the asphalted road after he was hit by the front tire of the Japanese national’s motorcycle.

It was during this unfortunate situation, Mabanto said, that he asked help from the people surrounding him and a woman shouted telling the bystanders to help the prosecutor and help the Filipino (Mabanto) from further harm.

“Pagsulti sa babaye nga tabangi ninyo si sir kay mga Pinoy gud ta. Mao tong panahona nga gitabangan siya og kulata sa mga tawo,” said Mabanto in a press conference last month.

At the time of incident, Miyauchi was accompanied by a woman, who is reportedly his secretary and according to Mabanto, the police had told him that the woman even said that the prosecutor did not do anything bad to her companion.

Mabanto said that based on his initial personal investigation, Miyauchi came from Sogod, Southern Leyte where he is allegedly known to be “burikinto” or ill-tempered and reportedly a wife-beater.

 Mabanto himself was also accused earlier of slapping a bus driver because of traffic violation. A complaint for grave misconduct is now pending before the Regional State Prosecutor’s Office against Mabanto. – /JMO