Councilor faces maul rap

The General Assignments Section of the Western Police District is poised to file slight physical injuries against a Manila City councilor who allegedly beat up a truck helper last Sunday night in Tondo, Manila.

Chief Inspector Arturo Paglinawan, WPD-GAS chief, said Manila Second District Councilor Edward Tan was accused by 22-year-old truck helper Domingo Baloran of allegedly beating him up over a petty parking tussle.

In his complaint to the WPD-GAS, Baloran, a stay-in helper of the Valley Trucking firm located at 1378 Narra St., Tondo, Manila, said he was assisting the parking of a truck along Narra St. at about 11 p.m.

Baloran said he and other helpers decided to push Tan’s L-300 van which was parked in front of Tan’s house at 1388 Narra st. as it was blocking the way.

According to Baloran, Tan came out of his house screaming after seeing that his van was moved a few meters from where it was parked.

Baloran told police that the councilor then started hurling invectives at him and the other helpers. Apparently not contended, Tan then allegedly started throwing blows on Baloran’s head and body.

Though the WPD-GAS has now started its investigation of the case, Paglinawan noted that the case should be resolved by the barangay court as both Tan and Baloran are both residents of the same place.

In addition, the case remains a barangay court case as the injuries allegedly sustained by Baloran were only slight as shown by the medical report he presented to police. Paglinawan added that the case also falls under the barangay court’s domain as Tan committed an act which is not related to his official duties as a councilor.

Paglinawan said that should the barangay court fail to resolve the case, the police would need a "certificate to file action" from the barangay officials before they could file a case of slight physical injury before the Manila City Prosecutor’s Office.

"We have not filed a case yet as we still need to get the certificate to file action from the barangay chairman," Paglinawan said.

For his part, Tan denied the charges filed by Baloran against him.

According to Tan, Baloran was mauled by his security men and aides after he was allegedly caught in the act of stealing one of the van’s side view mirror. Tan added that he is now also preparing theft charges against Baloran.

"He was stealing one of my van’s side mirror that is why my aides chased him. Now he is the one accusing me," Tan said.

Interestingly Tan is the president of the city’s Public Law Enforcement Board, serves as the chairman of the city council’s peace and order committee and is the vice chairman of the council’s human rights committee.