Lawmaker, guard to swap raps over brawl

MANILA, Philippines - A congressman from Mindanao figured in a brawl with a security guard at the UP-Ayala Technohub in Diliman, Quezon City last week and both men have vowed to file charges against each other, police said yesterday.

Security guard Ricardo Bonayog went to the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Station 9 to report that Lanao del Sur Rep. Hussein Pangandaman beat him up at around 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 31.

According to the police station blotter, Bonayog reported that while he was on duty at the parking lot of the complex, he saw a silver Porsche Carrera with protocol plate number “8” that is reserved for members of the House of Representatives, followed by a red Toyota Innova with plate number PCI-150.

 “Allegedly on said TDPO (time, date, place of occurrence), the occupant of the Porsche Carrera approached him and with reasons of his own got irked then boxed him several times, causing him to fall on the ground in the presence of some witnesses,” the police blotter read.

Bonayog also went to the Batasang Pambansa, accompanied by policemen, last week and looked at the House directory, which has pictures of lawmakers and pointed to Pangandaman as the one who allegedly beat him up.

The security guard was reportedly treated at the Quirino Medical Center for head injuries.

Pangandaman, however, strongly denied having beaten up the security guard and vowed to file a harassment complaint against Bonayog. He also said if the incident was recorded by surveillance cameras at the parking lot, the footage would prove that he was actually the victim.

He said upon driving his sports car onto the parking lot, he noticed something unusual in Bonayog’s behavior. He said the guard just looked at him when he asked whether there were available parking slots since it was raining.

Pangandaman said Bonayog also cursed when the female parking attendant asked him to check the plate number at the rear of the car before issuing a ticket since the one in front was “8.” He said the security guard followed him and asked whether “8” is a government plate and he replied that it was a protocol plate.

“I asked him (Bonayog) what seems to be the problem. I’ve been asking you questions and you were not answering me. To my surprise, I saw him drawing his gun. As fast as I can, I tried to stop him and hit him with a bunch of documents I was holding. I even told him not to act that way,” Pangandaman told reporters.

He said he instructed his police escort shortly after the incident to report what transpired with the police as well as the management of the complex. – With Reinir Padua