W. Samar vice mayor beat up parking attendant?

MANILA, Philippines - A white Starex van, which was used by a man who allegedly beat up a parking attendant in Manila last week and introduced himself as a “mayor,” was traced to a vice mayor in Western Samar.

Land Transportation Office records showed that the vehicle, with plate number ZSZ-458, is registered to Joseph Grey of San Jorge town in Barangay Aurora, according to Manila Police District investigators.

Grey, the Western Samar town’s mayor from 2004 to 2007, is its incumbent vice mayor while his wife, Nancy, is the mayor.

James Purisima, 39, a volunteer parking attendant (not a traffic aide as earlier reported) of the Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau, filed a complaint about the van’s four passengers last Friday.

He said the van’s passengers, one of whom identified himself as a mayor, beat him up over a disagreement on a parking space in front of a barbershop on Mabini street, according to a report by Senior Police Officer 1 James Poso and Police Officer 3 Gilbert Isole.