No vindication in golf club's decision - lawyer

MANILA, Philippines - The Valley Golf Course and Country Club's decision to expel Delfin de la Paz does not vindicate the sons of Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman Sr from the alleged mauling incident, de la Paz's lawyer said Monday. In an interview over radio dzBB, lawyer Raymond Fortun said the club's decision to expel de la Paz and ban his children, 14-year-old Bino and 18-year-old Marie Dhel or "Bambee," from entering the golf course does not change the fact that de la Paz and his son were beaten up. Fortun added that the golf club's decision will not, in any way, affect the status of the criminal complaints filed against the Pangandamans and their bodyguards. "Yung injuries na tinamo ng kliyente ko hindi rin natin mapapagkaila... Merong binugbog at meron ding dapat managot (The injuries that my clients sustained cannot be denied...they were beaten up, and someone should pay for it)," Fortun said. The Pangandamans' lawyer Teodoro Pastrana said on Sunday that he thought the club's decision was a "vindication" for the Pangandamans. "It gives us a true picture of what transpired. I think it's a vindication for the Pangandaman family," Pastrana said. But Fortun belittled the club's decision, saying it was the result of an internal investigation by the golf course's executives based on the testimonies of caddies who, he said, may not have seen the actual mauling incident. "Mahirap pong paniwalaan ang mga taong ito e kung talagang nakasaksi ng pangyayari... They will be subjected to cross examination at ite-test po natin kung totoong nagsasabi ng totoo yung mga yan (It's hard to believe if these people actually saw the events happen...They will be subjected to cross examination in court and we will test if they are really telling the truth)," said Fortun, adding that caddies usually keep their distance when the players are playing. Fortun also said the club's decision will not affect the slight physical injuries and violation of the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act charges they filed against the DAR chief's sons Hussein and Nasser Jr, mayor of Masiu town in Lanao del Sur. "Hindi ito magiging masyadong matimbang pagdating sa husgado kasi iba rin naman ang magiging pamantayan ng husgado pagdating sa kanilang desisyon (This will not weigh in significantly before the court because the court will have a different basis in their decision)," the lawyer said. At the same time, Fortun said they will file a motion for reconsideration on the decision to ban Bino and Bambee - whom he described as promising golf players - from playing in the Valley Golf and Country Club. Even as he said they will seek a reconsideration of the decision, Fortun said they are hoping other golf courses will take the two in. "Itong dalawang ito are really good golfers, it would be a shame kung mahihinto ang kanilang paglalaro (These two are really good golfers, it would be a shame if their playing is halted)," Fortun said. In a two-page resolution released Sunday, Valley Golf's board of directors cited eyewitnesses as testifying that it was Delfin de la Paz who instigated the brawl with the Pangandamans. "The board agreed that the statements of witnesses established that Mr. Dela Paz started the aggression by hitting Nasser Pangandaman Jr. with an umbrella," the board resolution said. "Mr. Dela Paz's conduct was the proximate cause and the spark of the fighting that ensued wherein Nasser and Mohammed Hussein Pangandaman retaliated against Mr. De la Paz." The club expelled de la Paz, and banned his two children from entering the golf club premises. Meanwhile, the club suspended Pangandaman Sr for two years for being "vicariously liable" for the actions of his two sons, who were his guests. His two sons, along with their bodyguards, were banned for life after allegedly mauling de la Paz and his son Bino. - Johanna Camille Sisante, GMANews.TV