It seems Bambee's blog entry left out some details, and so did the entry of the mayor's flightmate. If we presume regularity that neither of them is lying, both their stories can still stand together and be consistent. Here my attempt at making a composite entry trying to merge both stories in chronological order. This may perhaps paint a fuller picture:
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On December 26, 2008 at around 11:00am, our group composed of Rene Maglanque, Sec. Nasser Panagandaman, Arnel Estacio and Atty. Faisal Abdullah registered to play with the Valley Golf on the first (1st) flight of our group. The second (2nd) flight was composed of Hussein Pangandaman, Adnan Pacasum, Nasser Pangandaman, Jr. and Farah Locsin. We also registered the eight year old son of Hussein named Angelo Pangandaman whom they cannot leave behind the clubhouse as there will be no one to take care of him.
My brother and I were playing golf at the South Course of Valley. We were on the 3rd hole, and we see two golf carts going past us, overtaking our flight, and setting up to tee off on the next hole. My dad goes up to them and asks them why they would do that, why they would overtake us without even asking for our permission. Golf etiquette 101. One of the guys says that they're with the flight in front of us. (So what? That doesn't give them the right to just pass us WITHOUT asking.)
Nasser Pangandaman, Jr. and Farah Locsin were late. They caught up with their flight (2nd) at hole no. 4 accompanied by a marshall and their caddies riding on two golf carts and in the process overtaking the flight of Mr. Delfin de la Paz who reacted by protesting what seems to be an overtaking of flight. Nasser Jr. explained to the elder De la Paz that they will just catch up and join their flight mates at hole no. 4. He further explained that they, who like them, had earlier lined up to play and were pre-registered. With the said explanation, del Paz replied “Okey, kortesiya lang.”
When the 2nd flight of Nasser Jr. already played hole no. 4 which is a par 3 and Nasser Jr. was still outside of the green trying to pitch his ball into the green, the flight of dela Paz hit their shots into the green which almost hit Hussein without shouting “Fore!”. Surprised, though sensing trouble which they deemed to choose to avoid, they allowed the other Dela Paz player to hit his shot so they can peacefully resume and concentrate on their playing. At this point, the caddy of Nasser Jr also took the 8 year old Angelo to stay behind the golf cart to avoid being hit by golf balls coming from the dela Paz players.
So, we go to the 5th hole. The flight behind us catches up with us, and asks us what caused the hold up. We said that this flight just slipped in front of our flight. So we complained to the marshall.
On the next hole which is hole no. 5, after the 2nd Pangandaman flight hit their drives into the fairway and before they could hit their second shots, again the dela Paz players hit their drives without warning by shouting “fore”! the 2nd Pangandaman flight puzzled and surprised asked themselves why the flight behind them were doing this to them since they could be hit by their golf balls. One caddy even said, “Ano ba yun?”
When the 2nd flight reached the green of hole no. 5 and after holing out, they joined the 1st flight of Sec. Pangandaman and took their snacks. While doing so, the marshall approached and told Nasser Jr. that the dela Paz’s were complaining why they were 5 of them in their group and why they overtook their flight. Nasser Jr. reiterated to the marshall what he explained to the elder dela Paz, which his knowledge the former already accepted his explanation.
Later, unconvinced even after the marshall relayed to him that there were only four (4) and not five (5) in their flight, and that they were not overtaking as they just had to go back to the clubhouse and later join their flight.
We play the 5th hole and walk towards the next hole, where there is a teehouse, and both the flights in front of us were there, talking with the marshall. The mayor of Masiu City, Lanao del Sur talks with my dad. Things get heated up. Voices were raised.
The elder dela Paz came and approached Nasser Jr. already agitated and pointing saying, “Mali ka! There were two carts in your flight and you overtook us!” Nasser Jr. answered, “Akala ko po, Sir, nagkaintindihan na ho tayo kanina”.
Explaining about them not overtaking yet elder dela Paz was not convinced , and at the top of his voice said, “Putang ina ka! Member ka ba dito, ha?, Hindi mo ba ako kilala?”
Nasser Jr. patiently and respectfully explained again to him their side, even using “po” and “Sir” – as a sign of respect without revealing that he is the Mayor of Masiu, Lanao del Sur, and replied, “Bakit po kayo sumisigaw? Hindi po tayo nag-aaway”.
The elder dela Paz reacted, “Ikaw ang naghahanap ng away!”, while pulling his umbrella and thrusted the pointed part and hit the belly of Nasser Jr., while the latter was backing up.
The marshall tried to intervene but the elder Dino dela Paz pressed on which prompted and led Hussein to defend his brother.
But never, in my wildest dreams, did I ever imagine that someone would pull out a punch. Apparently not. He attacks my father. His flightmates, maybe 2 or 3 of them, rush 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.
Meantine, Nasser Jr., prevented the two (2) younger dela Paz from joining the fight by saying, “Awat na, Awat na”. but they got away from him and went in between their father and Hussein. The two young dela Paz was able to hold Hussein preventing him to reach the elder dela Paz as if “umaawat”. Yet, Bino Lorenzo dela Paz kept punching Hussein in the face and Marie dela Paz from behind kept on scratching his face.
In one instance, the elder Dino dela Paz took hold of a golf club driver and tried to hit Hussein. But, Rene Maglanque was able to get hold of the driver’s shaft and took it away from him.
My younger brother pleads 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 socks him in the face. My brother defended himself. My dad is still on the ground getting clobbered. My brother is the same way. I try to stop the fight, but all I can do is stop one person. There were 4 or 5 of them attacking now.
Someone breaks up the fight. I thought it was all over.
Later on, Sec. Pangandaman, Rene Maglanque, and another golfer from another flight pacified everybody and asked the dela Paz’s to just leave them to prevent further trouble.
The mayor shouts to his caddy: "Hindi nila kami kilala! Sabihin mo nga sa kanila kung sino ako!"
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I lash 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 looks at my brother, point to his face, and says, "Tatandaan kita!" And he tells me that my brother has a bad attitude and that I need to watch him.
Delfin dela Paz called someone in his cellphone and we heard him say, “Punta kayo ditto! May away kami!”
The dela Paz’s left. And, after about ten minutes, our group also discontinued playing and went back to the clubhouse.
We leave. We walk to the clubhouse to file a complaint. My brother asks for a doctor. My dad could barely walk.
The dela Paz’s left. And, after about ten minutes, our group also discontinued playing and went back to the clubhouse. When Hussein was hurrying up to the bathroom to relieve himself and wash his wounds, the elder Dino dela Paz accosted him and warned him in a threatening voice, “Ikaw mag-ingat ka! Hindi pa tayo tapos! Gagantihan kita!”
Blocking is way to the locker room, Hussein replied, “Hindi ka pa ba umaalis? Sumusobra ka na”, the young Bino Lorenzo went in the middle saying, “Huwag po, fourteen years old lang ako”, and yet having his fist ready to give him a punch.
Their group comes to the clubhouse, sees my brother. Once again my brother pleads, says sorry, and is crying. He was CRYING, for crissakes.
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.
Hence, Hussein defended himself and the three engaged in another fist fight.
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.
Maridel dela Paz came from behind Hussein and started scratching Hussein on the right cheek, the neck, and ear, while pulling and tearing his shirt.
Immediately after, they were prevented from further engaging in a fist fight by those present in the clubhouse, the security and other golfers.
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.
But the elder dela Paz still shouted “Gaganti ako. Hindi pa tayo tapos.”
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.
The rest of the dela Paz family arrived, with the eldest son carrying a baseball bat. The wife in “duster” with a bladed weapon in hand, as if ready to assault Hussein. They were likewise prevented by the clubhouse security and other golfers present.
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..."
At this point, Sec. Pangandaman told his sons to leave already and the dela Paz’s to stop and leave, so that no more untoward incident would happen. Soon, we also left but we had to leave through the parking exit because the dela Paz family was waiting for us at the clubhouse lobby.
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Bambee left out details in her blog, and so did the mayor's flightmate. However, a somewhat fuller picture can be formed reading both accounts together. This is just my attempt to put everything in chronological order and surely some parts may be mixed up.
When you look at the picture, I think it looks like the Pangandamans utilized excessive force which was just more than self-defense.
There is also the portion in the clubhouse where Bino is "pleading" (in Bambee's account), and even the mayor's side's account admits to Bino saying "huwag po, fourteen years old lang ako." It is just not reasonable to have a kid saying those words yet having a fist ready to punch. Clearly, the mayor's side misinterpreted Bino's actions or wanted to instigate more violence. There is no account - even sir rge's - that states Bino instigated any violence in the clubhouse. So again, this part was unwarranted excessive violence towards a young boy.
The clincher to show that excessive violence was indeed employed towards the dela Paz family is in the security guard report on December 27, which states:
The physical injury victims are Mr. Delfin dela Paz Sr. and his son Bino Lorenzo dela Paz, 14 yrs. old.
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upon reaching the incident scene he saw Mr. Delfin Dela Paz Sr. was bloodied his face and his 14 yrs old son (Bino Lorenzo Dela Paz) was bloodied also his left side ears and many personal bodyguards of Mayor Pangandaman wearing civilian clothes armed with high powered guns.
The Incident Report filed by the security guard, which is perhaps the earliest written third party account of the incident from an eyewitness, mentions the Dela Paz dad and son as the victims. Maybe they did not witness what transpired in the golf course, but they were definitely more bloodied than the Pangandamans.
When one side is outnumbered by the other, and they are the ones who sustain more injuries to the point that even the security guard refers to them as the victims, it can be seen that the force exerted by the other side was unjustified, excessive, and unwarranted.
This is my take in reading both together, now that there already is a security report in it, and of course presuming both accounts are truthful but incomplete although a close-to-complete picture can be painted reading both together.
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