“(T)he tales told by both camps are miles apart. Thus, how can one know the truth the except when there are other witnesses to corroborate their stories?”
by Ducky Paredes
The Philippine Blogosphere (a coined word that has come to mean the prevailing opinion on a particular issue as reflected by bloggers on the internet) has been agog over an incident in Valley Golf and Country Club in which one participant reported that her kid brother and her 56-year old father were beaten senseless by a cabinet secretary’s son – a small town mayor in Lanao – over nothing. In fact, according to her blog, this senseless incident had her and her brother pleading for mercy while these thugs beat them to a virtual pulp.
Upon reading this, since Malaya had no issues during the Christmas-New Year break, I wrote a short piece on a golfer’s reflections on the incident in my blog (www.duckyparedes.com/blogs) based on what I had heard as a member of Valley.
Now, from testimony of witnesses to the incident – caddies of both parties, the marshal, the starter and other club personnel – to the investigators, I am clearer on what happened.
What I narrate ignores the testimonies of the so-called victims (Delfin, Bambi and Dino De la Paz) or the alleged ruffians (Secretary Nasser Pagandaman of DAR and Mayor Nasser Pangandaman, Jr. and four other male companions) where these have no corroborating witnesses.
Here are the facts:
On December 26, at or around 1:00 p.m., there were two flights from the Pangandamans followed by one of the De la Paz family. Since there were two late players in the Pangandaman flights, they teed off with three players on each flight. Following them was a flight of two players – Bambee and Dino – with the father walking with them.
On reaching the green of Hole No. 3, Delfin was surprised to see two golf carts with two players getting off at Hole No. 4. (The other golf cart carried their caddies and was driven by a grounds marshal.)
Delfin accosted them. Mayor Nasser, Jr. explained that they were part of the group ahead and were only joining them a bit late. When Delfin told him that they would be five players in their flight, the Mayor explained that there would only by four of them, since one of the players in their second flight would move up to the first flight to accommodate the two new players.
Thus, they teed off.
On Hole No. 5, a De la Paz caddy was sent to ask why there were five golfers in their flight. Nasser Jr. explained that there were only four and that, besides, they would let the De la Paz flight move ahead of their flight on the next hole. The caddy says that he relayed this to Delfin.
Between Hole No. 5 and 6 is a tee house where one can take refreshments. There Nasser, Jr,’s flight caught up with Secretary Nasser’s flight. The mayor asked his father to let the next flight through since they seemed in a hurry and, besides, he said that they were long-hitters and good players. They agreed on this.
When the De la Paz flight was coming in from Hole No. 5, they were waved through by the players and the caddies to the next hole beyond the tee house. The mayor decided to personally inform Delfin. He started to say that they were allowing the De la Paz flight to move ahead of both Pangandaman flights but was met by an expletive: “P—– I—M-. Sabi mo apat kayo; bakit lima kayo?”
When the mayor explained that they were only four in his flight, Delfin was further incensed: Don’t you know who I am? Are you a member here? While repeatedly stabbing Nasser, Jr. with his umbrella.
At that point, Hussein, the younger brother, joined in by punching Delfin. Bino to the rescue! He swung his driver at the mayor who parried the blow but injured his hand. Both brothers then repeatedly punched De La Paz father and son, who also fought back.
The rest of the Pangandaman group – except for the secretary and the woman companion of the mayor – tried to stop the fight and eventually succeeded.
The De la Paz group went back to the clubhouse and the Pangandamans stayed behind. No more golf for either for the rest of the day. Hussein had blood on his face from punches he received from Bino and a scratch (courtesy of Bambee).
Did Delfin need help walking? Had he been beaten to a pulp? No. In fact, he was on his cellphone, spiritedly calling for what seemed like reinforcements.
(On returning to the clubhouse, while the rest of the Pangandamans were taking dirt off their shoes, Hussein went to wash up. Unfortunately, he and Bino met up again. According to Bino, he knelt in front of Hussein to beg that he stop hurting him. According to Hussein, Bino raised his hand. He thought the boy would hit him again; so, he gave him a punch. There were no witnesses to this. I included this only to show that the tales told by both camps are miles apart. Thus, how can one know the truth the except when there are other witnesses to corroborate their stories? )
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Many of our laws are written and passed haphazardly – almost without thinking. Thus, Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Lito Atienza sees that without financial support to local government units (LGUs), these are simply unable to comply with the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 (Republic Act 9003).
Under the Act, LGUs are directed to convert all open dumps into controlled dumps, which should have been closed five years after the law was passed in February 2000. The main problem of LGUs is the cost of conversion. Thus, Atienza now proposes that first and second-class cities, which currently do not receive government support, be given 40 percent subsidy, and third- and fourth-class cities, 25 percent subsidy.
He said first-class cities must be given a larger subsidy, considering their bigger volumes of garbage they churn. These cities already spend 50 percent of their income on garbage management, mostly on hauling.
Lito Atienza has changed his mind on this. Only last May, he issued an six-month ultimatum to LGUs: Shut down your open dumps. He said then that LGUs must comply with RA 9003; so, why were there still 826 open dumps all over the country? At that time, Lito warned that non-compliant LGUs would be charged for violating RA 9003.
Open garbage dumps produce leachate and emissions that poison the soil, water and air. These emissions are all major sources of greenhouse gases that cause climate change. Garbage dumps also produce methane gas that can be used as cooking gas or to produce electricity.
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hvp 01.04.09)
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