President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's silence in the wake of what the Pangandaman's did to the Dela Paz family shows how lacking in political will this government is especially when it concerns abusive government officials like the Pangandaman's.
The Pangandaman's, led by Mayor Pangandaman allegedly mauled the Dela Paz family including the father and his 14-year old son after they got into an altercation with Pangandaman's group while playing golf. The Pangandaman's were allegedly not following golf rules and were even the first ones to start the fight. With their burly bodyguards and guns, the Pangandaman's literally lorded it over the dela Paz and even the golf Marshall who failed to do his part in settling the problem.
In an interview with ABS CBN's Umagang Kay Ganda this morning, 14-year old Bino dela Paz (who has a 5 handicap) said Mayor Pangandaman himself boxed him after he pleaded for them to stop beating his 56-year old father. He said he even told them sorry (even if they did not do anything wrong) just so they would stop hurting his father but to no avail
Pangandaman even had the temerity to go out on television asking for the people's forgiveness for what happened without admittign their guilt. The fact that the Pangandaman's were armed with guns and with bodyguards against the dela Paz family with two children and an aging father shows how distended the equation is. Add to that the political clout of the Pangandaman's and the dela Paz will surely lose.
The dela Paz looked like a middle class family who invested heavily in training their children in golf. Every parent dreams of seeing his son or daughter excel in his chosen sports but in this case, the Pangandaman's should be made to pay not only for the physical damage they have caused but more importantly for the future they have destroyed. Dela Paz said his son Bino was so traumatized with the incident that he no longer wants to even see a golf course much more play golf.
