Court battle looms for Cebu street brawlers

CEBU CITY — First they traded blows. Then they separately celebrated. The next time around they will probably face each other in court.

After they engaged in a street fight over a traffic jam Thursday night Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Ouano and lawyer Omar Redula yesterday celebrated in contrasting fashion, each for a different reason.

Ouano celebrated the 33rd Charter Day of the city in a significant way. It was also the launching of the Mantawi Festival, his brainchild which he hopes will become a yearly tourist attraction.

Mantawi is the name of a vine which used to abound in Mandaue and from which the city derived its name.

Redula, on the other hand, turned 51 yesterday and celebrated it with a prayer meeting capped by a get-together with a small circle of relatives and friends.

After the merriment, however, the two may likely face each other in court and make good their threats to sue and counter sue.

The quarrel had its beginning Thursday night when Redula got stuck for at least an hour in a monstrous traffic jam caused by a dry run of a traffic rerouting. Ouano was to officially implement Friday in connection with his Mantawi Festival.

Redula complained loudly to police and traffic enforcers he saw unsuccessfully trying to untangle the huge traffic mess.

The officers referred Redula to Ouano who, it turned out, was also nearby, observing the situation.

As Redula made his way to Ouano, the mayor met him and hit him on the shoulder saying he was being too loud.

That was as far as the story appeared to be consistent. What happened next depended on who was telling his version of the story.

According to Redula, he hit Ouano back on the shoulder. The mayor alleged retaliated, hitting him again, this time with both hands on both shoulders.

After this initial exchange, Redula said the bodyguards of the mayor then ganged up on him, beating him up.

But Ouano had a different version to tell.

The mayor said that after he tapped Redula on the shoulder, the lawyer retaliated by pushing him on the face.

Ouano said the next thing he knew, people had rushed and surrounded Redula but insisted he could not be clear if they were beating him up and if they were his bodyguard or just ordinary folk who happened to be nearby.

Redula said he was appalled by the version of Ouano, saying it would be the height of stupidity for him, who was alone at the time, to initiate a fight with a mayor who was surrounded by bodyguards and with the police present. — Freeman News Service