Impunity at the Valley Golf

IMPUNITY AT THE VALLEY GOLF

Atty. Trixie Cruz-Angeles

This is a story of how a member of the government’s Peace Panel forgot his duty and allowed violence to happen in front of him.

On 22 December 2006, Gloria Arroyo appointed Sec. Nasser C. Pangadaman of the Department of Agrarian Reform to the Peace Panel.

On 26 December 2008, Sec. Pangandaman allegedly stood by while his son and namesake, Masiu City, Lanao del Sur Mayor Nasser Pangandaman Jr. and five bodyguards mauled Delfin de la Paz, 56 and his son Bino, 14. The attack first happened on the golf course of the Valley Golf and Country Club in Antipolo when the Pangandaman party overtook the de la Paz party on the course.

From the Gmanews.tv: The elder de la Paz said the Pangandaman father and son overtook them at one of the holes, prompting him to ask a marshal to have them get back in line, but when they were playing at the fifth hole, Pangandaman Jr allegedly voiced impatience with his slow playing.

Irked at the blatant breach of golf etiquette (parties or “flights” as they are called, should not overtake another flight without permission from the preceding one), Delfin de la Paz went up to speak to the Pangandaman party. Heated words ensued and Pangandaman, Jr. threw a punch at Delfin de la Paz. Bodyguards immediately followed and repeatedly punched de la Paz. Bino del la Paz rushed to assist his father but was in turn punched repeatedly and personally by Pangandaman Jr. It bears repeating that Bino de la Paz is fourteen years old.

Bambee de la Paz, daughter of Delfin and part of his flight, tried to help her father and brother but was prevented from doing so by other bodyguards. She says “So we complained to the marshal. We played the 5th hole and walked towards the next hole, where there is a tee house, and both the flights in front of us were there, talking with the marshal. The mayor of Masiu City, Lanao del Sur talked with my dad. Things got heated up. Voices were raised. But never, in my wildest dreams, did I ever imagine that someone would pull out a punch. Apparently not. He attacked my father. His flightmates, maybe 2 or 3 of them, rushed to his aid and beat up my father. My 56-year-old father. My younger brother and I could not just watch. We rushed to break the fight. My younger brother pleaded to the mayor to please stop it. To not hurt my dad. To just stop. His words still ring through my head..."Sorry na po, sorry na po...tama na...tama na po..." With his hands in front of his chest in a praying position. PLEADING. The mayor sacked him in the face. My brother defended himself. My dad was still on the ground getting clobbered. My brother, the same way. I tred to stop the fight, but all I could do was stop one person. There were 4 or 5 of them attacking now.

Someone broke up the fight. I thought it was all over. The mayor shouted to his caddy: "Hindi nila kami kilala! Sabihin mo nga sa kanila kung sino ako!" And believe me, I had no idea who this person was. But now I know. He's the person who, with 4 other men, beat up my 56-year-old father and my 14-year-old brother. He's the person who sacked a pleading 14-year-old kid in the face. He's a person who, I am sure, is gonna rot in hell.

I lashed out, but my dad held me back. I was screaming my lungs out, shouting to this mayor, telling him about what he had done. I said: "Nakakahiya kayo. Singkwenta'y sais anyos ang tatay ko. And kapatid ko kakatorse anyos. Anong ilalaban nila sayo?"

The mayor looked at my brother, poinedt to his face, and says, "Tatandaan kita!" And he told me that my brother has a bad attitude and that I need to watch him. WHAT THE HELL?! So, my brother's bad for defending his father?!” (http://vicissitude-decidido.blogspot.com/)

After the scuffle, the three went to the clubhouse to report the incident where they again ran into the Pangandaman party.

Bambee says, “We leave. We walk to the clubhouse to file a complaint. My brother asks for a doctor. My dad could barely walk. Their group comes to the clubhouse, sees my brother. Once again my brother pleads, says sorry, and is crying. He was CRYING, for crissakes. But no. The relentless mayor still punches him in the face, and then sees my dad and goes after my dad again. Him and his friend pull my dad to the ground, pulls at his feet, and steps on him like he's dirt. I run to him and try to hold him back, holding him back by his shirt, while this other guy and this girl tries to stop me. She tells me to just stop it. I scream in her face "they're beating my father up and you want me to stop?!" I pull at his shirt--I don't let go. All I can see was my dad being trampled on. I didn't even see my brother getting beat up.

People pull them away. I get my dad, and I saw my brother. His right ear was bleeding. I freaked out. I told the receptionists to bring my brother to the clinic. I pull my dad away. People were separating us.

My mom and my older brother come. I tell her Bino's right ear is bleeding. They both look like they could kill. My dad holds my brother off, I hold off my mom. When I finally got my mom under control, my older brother gets away and I hold him off. Two of the mayor's bodyguards pull out guns. I embraced my brother from the back, just holding him back, crying. The receptionists came to us, crying, hugging me, my dad, and my mom, whispering to us to just leave. "Maam, umalis na po kayo, may mga baril sila...Maam...umalis na po kayo please..."

Aside from the obvious charges of physical injuries filed against Pangadaman, the de la Pazes charge the attackers with violation of Republic Act 7610 the Anti-Child Abuse Act, for the injuries deliberately inflicted on 14-year-old Bino. Mayor Mangandaman, Jr. meanwhile counter charges Delfin de la Paz with slight physical injuries alleging that de la Paz attacked him with an umbrella.

The outrage on this is building and already the coffee shop pundits are wondering if GMA will fire her DAR Secretary and consequently remove him from the peace panel. I’m also wondering if the general public will see the connection between the illegitimacy of Gloria Arroyo and the blatant abuse of power displayed by these public officials.

In the past eight years, the Arroyos have managed to subvert all manner of processes to keep themselves free from litigation. Does anyone remember the kidnapping orchestrated by Mike Defensor on Ping Lacson’s witness on FG’s improprieties? The impeachment processes that were reduced to the inappropriately termed “numbers games”? ZTE? Yet, amazingly, when Mike Arroyo filed his own cases, his cases seemed to speed right along.

People know that these things happen in the halls of power. But never has it been so blatant, so in-your-face. And never have we, as a people been so cowed and so accepting of this kind of insidious status quo. A member of the government peace panel cannot keep the public peace and stands by as his son beats up a father and son. It seems to be just another injustice in the land of the apathetic.