Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman Sr. and his son Nasser Jr., a mayor of Masiu town in Lanao del Sur, were tagged as part of a group who allegedly beat up a 56-year-old businessman and his 14-year-old son at the Valley Golf and Country Club in Antipolo City last Friday.
Delfin de la Paz said that more than his physical injuries, he was concerned about the psychological trauma to his son Bino Lorenzo, a first-year high school student at the Ateneo de Manila, who recently participated in a junior golf tournament in Thailand as part of the Philippine team, which placed second.
“Aside from the bruises, he has been traumatized. He does not want to go to a golf course anymore,” De la Paz told The STAR in a phone interview.
“In his little way, my son has brought honor to our country in winning some medals and trophies in international tournaments,” he said.
The ordeal at the golf course started at the third hole where father and son, together with 18-year-old daughter Bambi, were teeing off a day after Christmas.
De la Paz said a group in a golf cart suddenly sped past them, ignoring golf course etiquette.
They let that incident pass, but on the tee mound of Hole Number 5 the group after them kidded them about taking too long.
De la Paz then explained that the delay was caused by the group of Pangandaman cutting in on them. They all then decided to bring the matter to the attention of the fairways marshal.
But on their way back to the tee house, De la Paz said they saw the group of the Pangandamans walking in their direction in a huff, Nasser Jr. apparently enraged over their complaint to the marshal.
During this encounter, De la Paz said the younger Pangandaman and his bodyguards allegedly started to hit and kick him. His son Bino tried to pacify his attackers, which led the group to hit him, too.
De la Paz said the attack allegedly took place in front of the DAR chief.
“In fairness to him, I did not see him actually throw punches at me or kick me. But as a father, I had hoped that he should have made some effort to stop his son and the bodyguards, especially when I was already getting badly beaten up,” De la Paz said.
After the beating, he called his wife and older son Bruce, to inform them of the incident and ask them to take him to the hospital.
But Pangandaman’s group confronted them again, Pangandaman apparently resenting the young De la Paz’s frantic efforts to get help from Valley Golf employees.
In that second encounter, the younger Pangandaman again attacked De la Paz and his son.
During this second encounter, De la Paz alleged that the DAR secretary shouted at him: “Hindi mo ako kilala? Ang yabang mo, ang tapang mo (Don’t you know me? You’re so arrogant).”
The DAR chief also allegedly threatened Bino, saying that he would remember his face.
De la Paz alleged that the Cabinet official’s bodyguards pulled out their guns at some point during this second encounter when Bruce attempted to come to his aid.
He said the second round of beating and verbal assault from the DAR secretary occurred in front of many people at the clubhouse, including club employees.
De la Paz issued a call for authorities to give them justice.
“I’m shocked that it happened to us right inside a golf course that is supposed to be peaceful. We were just peacefully playing golf,” he said.
Inspector Maria Luisa Pedrosa, chief of the Antipolo police Women and Children’s Desk, said they have already prepared the proper complaint against the Pangandamans and their bodyguards.
Pedrosa said the complaint will be formally lodged once an inquest prosecutor turns up this week.
“This is the first time in my life that something like this happened. It was overkill,” De la Paz said, while lamenting the fact that the Pangandamans were allegedly able to bring their firearms into club premises.
“I’ve been a member of Valley Golf for 10 years. I don’t know why they allow these people to bring firearms into the golf course, into the clubhouse,” he said.
The STAR tried to get in touch with Pangandaman last night but his cell phone kept ringing unanswered.