Pangandamans seek dismissal of charges

The sons of Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman Sr. have asked the prosecutor’s office of Antipolo City to dismiss the multiple cases filed against them by businessman Delfin de la Paz over the brawl at a golf course last Dec. 26.

Citing the in-house investigation of the Valley Golf and Country Club that it was the elder De la Paz who instigated the fight, Pangandaman of Masiu, Lanao del Sur and brother Muhammed Hussein contended that the charges filed by the De la Pazes against them should be accordingly dismissed.

Instead, the Pangandamans prayed that the prosecutors would find probable cause to elevate their own complaint against the De la Pazes in court.

In their six-page counter-affidavit, the Pangandamans claimed that the blog of Marie Dhel de la Paz or Bambee titled “The World Has Gone Crazy” which appeared in the Internet manipulated public opinion in favor of the De la Pazes.

“We were prematurely and unjustly condemned by the public and even our family was unfairly dragged into the controversy,” the Pangandamans claimed.

However, the Valley Golf findings and the subsequent expulsion of the elder De la Paz categorically determined that the elder De la Paz instigated the brawl by thrusting his umbrella to Mayor Pangandaman.

The Valley Golf also suspended Secretary Pangandaman for two years and banned for life his two sons from playing in the golf course.

De la Paz’s son Bino and Bambee were also banned for life but the decision was appealed last month by their lawyer Raymond Fortun.

Because of the incident, the De la Pazes filed three counts of child abuse charges against Mayor Pangandaman, 27, and his brother before the Antipolo City prosecutor’s office.

The Pangandaman brothers appeared at the same prosecutor’s office some two hours later to file physical injuries charges against the De la Pazes.

They also filed an additional grave coercion and light threats against Delfin, Bino, Bambee and Bruce who arrived in the golf course armed with a baseball bat and Mrs. Maridel de la Paz who was armed with a bladed weapon.

Mayor Pangandaman also filed libel charges against Bambee before the prosecutor’s office in Lanao del Sur because of her blog in the Internet.