2 Lingayen dads in fisticuffs over resolution vs radiomen

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan — Tempers flared in this town’s session hall last Monday, with two councilors trading fist blows during the discussion of a resolution declaring three broadcasters persona non grata.

The two protagonists — councilors Gilbert Mangapot, 34, and Norberto Felix, 60 — had their respective versions of the incident put on record: the former with the barangay (Poblacion) and the latter with the police.

Mangapot claimed being hit on the left shoulder and left cheek. He reportedly parried a third blow when he managed to grab Felix’s hand, sending the latter’s eyeglasses falling on the floor.

Felix, for his part, claimed having been punched by Mangapot seven times.

Mangapot told The STAR in a phone interview that he tried to suggest in Monday’s hearing of the council’s committee on law and ethics that such a declaration of persona non grata against radio-men Rannie Manaois, Allan Sison and Nestor "Nicky Boy’" Reyes be referred to the provincial legal officer or the mayor’s legal consultant.

The council earlier passed the resolution, authored by councilor Randall Bernal, on first reading.

Manaois and Sison, both of dzRH-Dagupan, and Reyes, of dwPR, caught Bernal’s ire after they read on air a text message forwarded to them about an unnamed municipal councilor who allegedly uses illegal drugs and beats up his wife.

The three radiomen admitted that although the text message did not identify the councilor, they asked if the one alluded to was Bernal, who was recently cited as an outstanding councilor by the Pangasinan Councilors League.

Bernal has rallied his colleagues to support his resolution, saying they are supposed to compose one august body.

But councilors Donald Gutierrez and Edith Hallare have contrary views. The former argued that the council must not be used in the personal fight of any of its members, while the latter suggested that Bernal sue the three radiomen if he felt maligned by their commentaries.

For his part, Mangapot quoted provincial administrator Virgilio Solis as saying, "Akin, antoy nagagawa yod konseho? Makapalek kayod satay deklarasyon yoy persona non grata. Pati si Nicky Boy ya bokal tan tagad Lingayen, impila yo (Why, what’s happening with you in the council? You became the laughingstock because of your declaration of persona non grata. You even included Nicky Boy, a resident of Lingayen, who is an elected board member)."

In Monday’s session, Mangapot recalled when a fellow councilor criticized him for his statements in a television magazine show.

It was at this juncture when Felix suddenly stood up and said he felt being alluded to. This was when the fisticuffs occurred. Their colleagues pacified the two.

The committee on law and ethics did not act on the resolution in Monday’s session. But last Thursday, it was agreed upon that Bernal’s resolution would be discussed by the committee of the whole on Sept. 25.

The resolution’s passage appears inevitable since seven pro-administration councilors, including Bernal and Felix, comprise the committee.

Mangapot said he would file a counter-suit if Felix sues him. If not, he said he would just ignore the incident.

Mangapot and Felix used to sit beside each other at the session hall until last January when the controversial story on Lingayen being a dirty municipality came out on the TV magazine show.

Since then, the two councilors have not been on speaking terms, with Mangapot suspecting that Felix was allegedly the one badmouthing him.

The STAR tried to get Felix’s reactions through former mayor Jonas Castañeda, whose wife is the incumbent mayor, but to no avail.