THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STORY

Their side has been heard over and over on television, radio and print. The average person who would see, hear and read about their story would indeed feel for them completely, and have nothing but anger and hatred for the other party. I’ve read her blog from her BlogSpot, and they sure sounded like the aggravated party on her blog.

I am posting the incident that happened at the south course of Valley Golf and Country Club that fateful day of December 26, 2008 between the families of Pangandaman and dela Paz. But this is not Delfin’s and his children’s side; I am retelling the details of the incident here on behalf of the Pangandamans.

On December 26, 2008, Friday, at around eleven in the morning, the group of Secretary Nasser Pangandaman registered at the Valley Golf Country Club to play golf. Since there were eight of them playing, they divided into two flights, with the Secretary and his companions on the first flight, and Hussein, Nasser JR and two others on the second. In golf terms, a flight is a division of players within a golf tournament or game. Angelo Pangandaman, Hussein’s eight year old son tagged along with the second flight (Nasser Jr’s), since no one would be able to watch him at the clubhouse.

Nasser Jr and his friend, Farah Locsin arrived late at the golf course and followed their flightmates at Hole No. 4 of the South Course of Valley. It was a convoy of two golf carts, one of which was Nasser Jr’s and the second was the golf marshal’s who was escorting them and the caddies. Here, Bambee narrated in her blog: “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.” Mr. Delfin dela Paz reacted by protesting at what seemed to be an overtaking of flight, in which Nasser Jr explained to the elder dela Paz that they did not overtook their flight but simply tried to catch up with their flightmates at Hole No. 4. He further explained that they, like the dela Paz’s had earlier lined up to play and were already registered at the flight before theirs. Thinking that things had been cleared up, Mr. dela Paz said, “Okay, kortesiya lang” (”Okay, just seeking courtesy“) .

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!”. In golf terms, “fore” is a word of warning yelled out by a player who has hit an errant shot. If your shot is in danger of hitting or landing very close to another player or group of players on the course (for instance, if you slice a ball into an adjoining fairway), you should yell “fore!” to warn players to watch out. 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.

On Hole No. 5, after the 2nd Pangandaman flight hit their drives into the fairway and before they could hit their second shots, the dela Paz players again hit their drives without warning the Pangandamans. Puzzed and surprised, they asked among themselves why the flight behind them were doing this to them as they could be hit by their (dela Paz’s) golf balls. When Nasser Jr’s flight reached the green of Hole No. 5 and after holing out, they joined the 1st flight of Sec. Pangandaman and took their break at the teehouse. During their break, the marshal approached Nasser Jr, stating that the dela Paz’s were complaining that there were five of them in their group and why they overtook the dela Paz flight. Nasser Jr. reiterated to the marshal what he had already explained to the elder del Paz, to which his knowledge the former had already accepted his explanation. Unconvinced with what the marshal had relayed that there were only four and not five in their flight and that they did not overtake as they just went back to the clubhouse and later join their flight, the elder dela Paz approached Nasser Jr, obviously agitated at this time and pointed a finger at him and accusing him that there were two carts in their flight and that they (Nasser Jr) overtook them. This confused the younger Pangandaman, as he had already explained back at Hole No. 4 that they did not do so. He asked in a most respectful manner that he thought that they already had an understanding. Mr. dela Paz at the top of his voice accused him that Nasser Jr was wrong and began shouting profane words at the younger Pangandaman, saying, “P***** i** ka! Member ka ba dito, ha? Hindi mo ba ako kilala?” (”S.O.B! Are you even a member here? Don’t you know who I am?!”) In a calm voice and without revealing that he is the Mayor of Masiu, Lanao del Sur, Nasser Jr respectfully asked Mr. dela Paz why he was raising his voice at him when they were not arguing. The elder dela Paz reacted “Ikaw ang naghahanap ng away!”(”You’re the one looking for a fight!”), while pulling his umbrella and thrusted the pointed part and hit the belly of Nasser Jr, who backed up. This incident happened in front of the marshal who tried to interevene, but Mr. Delfin dela Paz pressed on, thus prompting Nasser Jr’s older brother Hussein, to come to his brother’s defense. Mr. dela Paz hit Hussein on the forehead and the two engaged in a fist fight.

Meanwhile, Nasser Jr., tried to prevent the two younger dela Paz from joining the fight but they got away from him and went in between their father and Hussein. The dela Paz siblings were able to hold Hussein preventing him to reach the elder dela Paz as if trying to pacify the two. Yet, Bino Lorenzo dela Paz kept punching Hussein in the face and Marie Dhel dela Paz from behind kept on scratching his face. At one point Mr. Delfin dela Paz even got a golf club driver and tried to hit Husseinbut Mr. Rene Maglanque was able to pry the club away from him. When Hussein turned his back on the elder dela Paz, Bino then got a golf club and tried to attack Hussein, but Nasser Jr was able to block Bino with his left arm, but hit his left hand. Sec. Pangandaman, Rene Maglanque, and another golfer from a different flight pacified everybody and asked the dela Paz’s to just leave them to prevent further trouble. Mr. Delfin dela Paz called someone in his cellphone and gave orders to come to the clubhouse because they’ve just had a fight with someone.

The dela Paz’s then left the golf course. Losing interest in the game as it was spoiled by the fight, both Sec. Pangandaman’s and Nasser Jr’s flights also returned to the clubhouse after about ten minutes. Hussein, attaining a bump on the forehead due to a punch by Mr. Delfin dela Paz and scratches on the face and neck, hurried to the men’s locker room to relieve himself and wash his wounds from the scuffle. But Mr. Delfin dela Paz blocked his path to the locker room and told him in a threatening voice that it wasn’t over between them and that he’ll take revenge. Hussein, obviously still angry from the brawl that ensued at the golf course asked why they still hadn’t left yet, when Bino again, pleaded not to hurt his fifty-six year old father, and him who’s fourteen, but with fists ready to punch. The Secretary’s elder son was engaged in another scuffle with the father and son followed by Marie Dhel, who came from behind Hussein, scratching him on his right cheek, neck, ear, while pulling and tearing his shirt.

The security and other golfers in the clubhouse who witnessed the encounter separated them, and as soon as that happened, Mr. dela Paz again shouted invectives at Hussein. Around this time, a loud commotion was heard by the entrance; it was Mrs. dela Paz and her two sons. The sons had with them baseball bats, and Mrs. dela Paz, in a house dress (duster), had with her a bladed weapon, all three looking as if ready to assault. The other golfers and security held them off so as to completely stop the fight. 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. The Pangandaman’s party had to leave through the parking exit because the dela Paz family was waiting for them at the clubhouse lobby.

I’m pretty sure that most, if not everyone, has already read the blog that Bambee dela Paz posted on her blog page. And I’m pretty sure that most, if not everyone totally sympathizes with the dela Paz family regarding the mauling incident allegedly initiated by the Pangandamans. But may I ask, before those hurtful comments were hurled at the DAR Secretary, the mayor of Masiu, Lanao del Sur, the rest of their family, and Muslims as a whole, did the people even bother for just a second to think what the other side had to say? Did they even bother getting information from the Pangandaman’s camp after reading Bambee dela Paz’s blog? I BET THEY DID NOT.

I just have a couple of more questions. If Mr. dela Paz and his children have been playing golf for such a long time now, then they should know their golf etiquette by heart now. If they are professional players, then why did they hit their drives WITHOUT giving any warning to the flight before them? Isn’t it a given to golfers to shout “Fore!” to players who may be potentially hit by the ball since they are in the way of it? Could they have forgotten to warn them TWICE?

Weren’t they supposed to NOT hit their drives unless the golfers before them are OUT OF THE GREEN?

And since it was a holiday, why did the dela Paz flight pushed to play on the golf course when A FLIGHT OF TWO IS PROHIBITED TO PLAY ON THE COURSE DURING HOLIDAYS as per club regulations? Does that mean they are exempted from the rules and regulations of Valley Golf and Country Club?

How can they claim that their flight was overtaken by Nasser Jr’s when they had registered to play on a flight before the dela Paz’s? Do you think the marshal will even escort Nasser and his friend to the golf course if that was really the case?

Why would Nasser Jr complain to the marshal about the dela Paz’s alleged slow playing as stated on reports when his flight is BEFORE theirs?

Why did Bambee leave out the part of what happened at Holes 4 and 5 and just continued her blog on the teehouse? Could she have forgotten to put in her blog that she was also part of the brawl on the course and hurt the older Pangandaman son? Your nails must be pretty long, Ms Bambee, those cuts dug in deep into Hussein’s skin.

Would Bambee even bother blogging about the incident that took place in Valley Golf had they had a tip-off with some other Christian elitist and not Muslim politicians like the Pangandamans? Would the media and the public pick up the story and show the same volume of sympathy for the dela Paz family if the other party concerned were just average, private Non-Muslim citizens?

Would the public still claim Mr. Delfin dela Paz and his children to be brave and courageous people if they had known that they already have a record of run-ins with other patrons of Valley Golf?

Do you seriously think that a person who works as a public official would actually put his reputation on the line over a game of golf regardless of faith or be for or against the administration?

Why are your statements inconsistent, Mr. dela Paz? Reports from different sources seem to vary. From what I know, a person who has had a traumatic experience has vivid recollections of the events that took place.

Like they said, it all started from a small misunderstanding. Had Mr. dela Paz accepted the explanation given to him by Nasser Jr. back at the course then none of this would have happened. This isn’t a case between an underdog and the powerful and mighty. This is a case between right and wrong. The dela Paz family claim that a lot of people have witnessed what took place. That’s what the Pangandaman family think too. Let those people speak up then! But to make quick judgments and accusations against the Pangandamans, politicians, and even Muslims in general, without enough knowledge and proper basis regarding both sides of the issue is just ridiculous and shows ignorance on your part. I am, just like everyone, am praying for this to be resolved.

The truth WILL prevail. Justice WILL be served.