Barangay officer in viral 'lugaw' video apologizes to delivery rider, netizens

Barangay Muzon officials, including the officer who went viral for insisting that lugaw or rice porridge was "non-essential," on Good Friday apologized to the delivery rider who was barred from entering a subdivision in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.

Muzon chairman Marciano Gatchalian, together with Phez Raymundo, the officer who went viral on social media, and other barangay officers, issued their apology to Grab delivery rider Marvin Ignacio in a video posted on Barangay Muzon's Facebook page.

"Ako po si Phez Raymundo, kawani ng barangay, nakatalaga bilang VAWC desk officer. Na humihingi ng paumanhin sa nangyaring viral noong nakaraang araw tungkol po doon sa lugaw sa may Harmony Hills," she said.

(I, Phez Raymundo, staff at the barangay assigned as a Violence Against Women and Children desk officer, would like to apologize for the viral incident the other day over a porridge at Harmony Hills).

"Sa iyo Marvin, kung na-offend ka sa aking nabanggit, ako ay humihingi ng paumanhin, kasama na rin po doon 'yung may-ari ng establishment and doon sa mga Grab drivers ," Raymundo added.

(To you Marvin [Ignacio], if you have been offended by what I said, I apologize, as well as to the owners of the food establishment, as well as to Grab drivers.)

Raymundo also apologized to the public, specifically to netizens who took offense at the incident.

"Sa mga netizens, alam kong naapektuhan kayo doon sa aking nabanggit. Hindi ko po gusto na ma-offend kayo. Iyon po ay hindi intentional. Dahil iyon po ay late na ng madaling araw iyon, napagod na rin po siguro ako at nagkamali ako ng napili na salita na hindi akma sa aking pinapaliwanag kay Marvin so pasensya po sa lahat at sa publiko," she said.

(To the netizens, I know you were affected by what I said. I did not want to offend you. That was not intentional. That was very early in the morning and probably because I was already tired, I chose the wrong words when I was trying to explain to Marvin. Again, I am sorry to everyone and to the public.)

For his part, barangay chair Gatchalian said: "Ako po ay naririto upang makapagbigay ng pahayag, paliwanag, at makahingi na rin ng paumanhin sa ating publiko, sa atin pong kinauukulan, sa mga nakakataas sa ating pamahalaan, at lalong lalo na sayo Marvin, muli akong humihingi ng paumanhin, at saka sa may-ari na rin ng Lugaw Pilipinas."

(I'm here to give a statement, to explain, and to apologize to the public, to our government officials, and to Marvin and the owner of Lugaw Pilipinas, again, I am sorry.)

Harassment?

Meanwhile, in a new video he posted Thursday night, Ignacio filmed a group of plainsclothes men allegedly confronting him. The video, however,  failed to record the audio of their exchange.

Ignacio said three men aboard motorcycles came up to him and ordered him to shut down what turned out to be the Lugaw Pilipinas restaurant. He said he asked them for official papers but they were only able to produce photocopied documents.

According to Ignacio, one of the men was blaming him for uploading the video that went viral.

“Pumunta na naman doon yung taga-barangay. Akala ko nga sasaktan ako eh kasi kanina, hina-harass ako,” Ignacio said.

(Some barangay personnel went to the store again. I thought they were going to hurt me because they were harassing me.)

Ignacio burst into tears while recounting the incident, even as he asked the public for help pleading that he only wanted to make a living.

The men in the video would later apologize for the incident, saying they were merely giving the owner of the establishment a copy of a supposed "closure order."

"Asahan niyo pong hindi na po ito mauulit. Haharapin po namin kung ano ang ibibigay na kaparusahan sa amin ng aming kapitan," a barangay official said in the same video posted on Muzon's Facebook page.

(Expect that this incident will not happen again. We will face the sanctions to be handed down by our barangay captain.)

Gatchalian said the concerned officers will face disciplinary actions but did elaborate.

Raymundo previously stood by her decision not to let driver Grab delivery rider Marvin Ignacio through during their curfew.

In the video taken by Ignacio that has gone viral, the barangay officer from a village in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan can be heard insisting that lugaw is a non-essential good.

However, clarifying that food delivery services are allowed to operate beyond curfew hours, Malacañang said that lugaw is an essential good and food delivery operations must remain unhampered during ECQ.

Grab Philippines earlier issued a statement amid the controversy, echoing the government's remark that lugaw is also essential. Grab said Ignacio has already decided not to press charges. -with Joviland Rita/MDM, GMA News