SAN MANUEL, Pangasinan, Philippines – A remark of provincial board member Ranjit Ramos Shahani reportedly triggered a spat between him and a brother of the mayor at a polling center in Barangay Guiset Sur here on Monday.
A report from the police provincial office said Shahani, son of former senator Leticia Ramos Shahani, had a heated exchange of words with Laureano Perez IV, brother of Mayor Alain Jericho Perez.
Police Officer 2 Omar Gerald Disipulo told The STAR that Shahani visited the polling centers at the Juan C. Laya Elementary School.
Disipulo said Shahani reportedly uttered “do not vote for hoodlums†in front of the voters.
This apparently irked the mayor’s brother who answered back and challenged Shahani to identify who he was referring to as hoodlums.
Reports said trouble was avoided as Shahani walked away from the place.
Shahani, in an interview with Bombo Radyo Dagupan, said he is planning to file charges against Perez.
He said he went to the school after he received a report about the presence of armed men in the school. He said he reported the matter to Senior Superintendent Marlou Chan, police provincial director, and to the Philippine Army in Binmaley town.