Lawmakers defend Mar over Wack Wack incident

MANILA, Philippines - Congressmen yesterday defended Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II over an incident at a golf club where he reportedly blew his top.

“I can understand how Secretary Roxas could have been upset by the situation, but I believe that he would not have cursed anyone. I have known him since he was majority leader in the House of Representatives in 1998 and have never known him to badmouth anyone,” Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano III said.

“To his credit, Secretary Roxas apologized even as he denied the accusation against him. Secretary Roxas is a good and decent man and you can never put a good man down,” he said.

Aklan Rep. Teodorico Haresco Jr. said it was “implausible for Mar to do that unless he was typically provoked by the usual Wack Wack Golf Club’s inconsistent policies.”

“Normally, the payment for a guest is automatically charged by the club to the member upon his registration. Not during tee-off when everyone is preparing to hit the ball,” he said.

“Mar, whose familial heritage has survived economic modulations over a century, is not a elitist. Until now, Mar remains a most humble, down-to-earth person in the P-Noy Cabinet,” he added.

Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone said it was out of character for Roxas to blow his top and berate someone as reported, “at least not on a small issue like a P5,100 guest fee.”

“He always keeps his cool and equanimity. That was very evident in his now famous meeting with the mayor of Tacloban City shortly after Super Typhoon Yolanda struck. The video footage that was apparently secretly taken shows that he did raise his voice,” he said.

Evardone said he would not be surprised if political enemies of Roxas would exploit the golf club incident.

The Wack Wack Golf and Country Club is investigating a complaint that Roxas berated and cussed employees of the club for demanding that he pay the green fee for a golf pro he had invited to give golf lessons to his guest.

Roxas is a registered member of the exclusive club, where the green fee is P5,100 per head.

A report submitted to the Wack Wack administration showed the incident took place on April 6, a Sunday, at around noon at the club’s registration office.

Before the incident, Roxas informed the staff that his guest would be getting golf lessons from golf pro Rey Pagunsan.

The incident was first reported by GMA 7 broadcaster Arnold Clavio in his Abante column. The names of the staff involved were not mentioned.

On being told that he needed to pay the green fee of P5,100 for Pagunsan, Roxas reportedly lost his cool and shouted at the staff member.

Roxas has admitted getting upset over being required to pay the fee for a non-playing golf professional who was teaching his guest shortly before they were about to tee off.

He apologized over the incident, saying there was a misunderstanding but also denied swearing at someone.

“Out of my frustration, I got upset. But I did not direct it against someone and most of all, I did not swear at someone,” he added.

Roxas subsequently promised to pay the green fee for the non-playing golf instructor as required by club rules.