We were attacked first - DAR chief

Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman vehemently belied yesterday the accusations of a 56-year-old businessman that the government official’s politician-son and his bodyguards beat him and his 14-year-old son during an altercation at the Valley Golf and Country Club in Antipolo City last Friday.

In an interview with The STAR, Pangandaman turned the tables on Delfin de la Paz, asserting that it was the businessman and his children who started the squabble that eventually led to a brawl.

“Parang baliktad ’ata yung kwento (It seems the story is incorrect),” Pangandaman replied when asked for his reaction regarding published reports quoting De la Paz’s version of the incident.

“Yung anak ko ang unang nilusob nila, iyon ang nangyari doon… Sila ang lumusob kasama yung dalawang anak nya (They first attacked my son, that was what happened… They attacked with his two sons),” he said.

Pangandaman told his version of the story over the phone while on his way to Baguio yesterday. He said he came from Pangasinan where he checked several Department of Agrarian Reform projects, and expressed regret that he was unable to take calls of The STAR, who tried to get his side since Saturday, because of his “busy schedule.”

According to Pangandaman, he decided to invite his family and relatives to play golf Friday at the Valley Golf and Country Club, where he has been a member for more than five years now, to spend leisure time with them since it’s the holidays.

He said his party consisted of eight people, including his two children, among them Nasser Jr., mayor of Masiu, Lanao del Sur.

He said his group took two flights onto the green— the first flight included him while the second flight composed of his two children and their cousin.

“I was on the first flight and my children and their cousin were on the next, following us. The flight of the De la Paz family came next to them,” said Pangandaman, refuting the claim of De la Paz that his son breached golf etiquette by overtaking them at the South Course of the Valley Golf and Country Club.

“My son JR, who was still waiting for someone, was following us when we teed off. When we reached the third hole, JR joined his flight so he (De la Paz) was not overtaken. It is not true. It’s on record at the Valley Golf,” he said in Filipino.

The senior Cabinet member likewise lamented that the older De la Paz let his son hit the ball even if his children were still on the fairway. “Alam mo ba na pag natamaan ka ng bola ng golf pwede ka mamatay? (Do you know that you could die once a golf ball hits you?) But despite that, we just let it pass,” Pangandaman said.

At the tee house on Hole No. 5, Pangandaman claimed they did not know what was really happening until a fairways marshal suddenly came.

He said all eight of them were present when the marshal approached them and told them about De la Paz’s complaint. After a while, he said, De la Paz came along shouting at his son, JR.

Pangandaman said it was only at this point that he learned about what was going on because De la Paz was shouting a “few meters” from the tee house.

Moments later, at the height of the argument, Pangandaman said De la Paz “attacked” his son with an umbrella, and that the businessman’s children subsequently joined.

He said the De la Pazes “ganged up on him (JR).”

“I didn’t realize that that boy was only 14-years-old because he’s big. So my two children and the three of them (De la Pazes)… When I saw it I immediately went (between them) personally and pacified them. It’s not true that I did not do anything,” the DAR secretary said.

He said anyone could interview the “many witnesses” to the incident, including the golf players of that day, and marshals and caddy of the Valley Golf Club, to determine that De la Paz’s claims were “unfair.”

Pangandaman then challenged the media to check on the records of De la Paz at Valley Golf Club, as well the police blotter where they had the incident put down.

He strongly denied the older De la Paz’s claim that he did not do anything to stop his son during the scuffle.

Pangandaman said they reported to the police around Friday afternoon, after the incident at the Valley Golf Club. He even expressed disbelief that the media appeared to have been unable to see the blotter they filed before the police.

He likewise denied the assertion of De la Paz regarding the statement of the younger Pangandaman, who allegedly said, “Hindi mo ako kilala? Ang yabang mo, ang tapang mo (Don’t you know me? You’re so arrogant).”

Pangandaman said he is currently consulting his lawyers regarding the possible filing of a libel suit against De la Paz for propagating false information about what really transpired last Friday at the Valley Golf Club.

He said he has medical record to prove that his sons were beaten up, suffering contusions and bruises in their bodies, as a result of the Valley Golf Club incident. 

Eyewitness account

Rene Maglanque, a former assistant secretary of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and Pangandaman’s golf mate when the incident took place came out to corroborate Pangandaman’s claim.

Maglanque said it was De la Paz who was furious and had started the fistfight when he thrust the pointed end of his golf umbrella at Nasser Jr., hitting the latter on the belly.

He said this act led Hussein to defend his brother.

Maglanque made the recollection on the Dec. 26 incident in a letter to the membership committee of the Valley Golf and Country Club in a bid to have the incident investigated by the committee.

He said he was with Pangandaman’s group that included Arnel Estacio, Atty. Faisal Abdulah, while the second flight was composed of Hussein Pangandaman, Adnan Pacasum, Nasser Jr., and Farah Locsin.

Also registered was Hussein’s eight-year-old son because he could not be left alone in the clubhouse.

Maglanque said Nasser Jr. and Locsin came late for their golf game, which forced them to catch up with their flight then at Hole 4, accompanied by a marshal and their caddies on two golf carts, in the process overtaking the group of the De la Pazes.

After an outburst of protest from the elder Dela Paz, Maglanque said Nasser Jr. immediately explained that they were just catching up with their flight and that they were registered to join the flight.

According to him, golf balls started raining on them even as the De la Paz group were hitting drives without shouting “Fore!”

Maglanque said it was the elder De la Paz who confronted them about the matter, which eventually led to the physical altercation.

Police protection

But De la Paz and his children are sticking to their side of the story.

“The world is f***ed up. Two politicians beat up a defenseless 56-year-old father and his 14-year-old son at a golf course. I swear to God, I thought golfers were decent people. You would think politicians were decent people. I guess no,” said daughter Bambee, 18, during an interview.

Meanwhile, Calabarzon police director Chief Superintendent Perfecto Palad said they will provide security for De la Paz and his son, Bino Lorenzo, 14.

“We are now coordinating with the victims’ family with regard to the number of security personnel they wanted. We would secure them for as long as police presence is demanded,” Palad said in an interview.

He explained that the Cainta and Antipolo City police responded to the Valley Golf and Country Club after receiving reports that the De la Pazes were beaten by a group of men headed by Nasser Jr. last Dec. 26.

“My men failed to find the armed group. But we were able to gather witnesses including the daughter of De la Paz, Bambee, who witnessed the whole incident,” said Palad.

Based on Bambee’s testimony, Palad said the Antipolo City police who took cognizance of the case, have prepared physical injuries and anti-child abuse charges against the Masiu mayor and his companions.

“The cases are now ready for filing but we could not do so because of the long holidays,” said the Calabarzon police director.

According to Palad, they are also determining whether or not to include the DAR chief in the charge sheet, because according to Bambee, he was in the vicinity but failed to pacify his son and his companions.

Palad said they are also determining whether the mayor and his companions involved in the incident are licensed gun holders and were armed with permit to carry firearm outside residence (PTCFOR).

He said he would recommend the cancellation of the PTCFOR of Mayor Pangandaman and his companions because of their violent behavior. – Rainier Allan Ronda, Non Alquitran