IT SEEMS that “Boxing Day”, a time-honored tradition of kindness and gift giving to the less fortunate in First World countries, particularly Great Britain or England, has taken a different but quite literal meaning of boxing in the southern town of Guimbal, Iloilo in Third World Philippines.
And this is what will greet incoming Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Region 6 OIC regional director Ariel O. Iglesia, a taste of Ilonggo “waslik poder” coming from a well-entrenched political dynasty… the Garins of the 1st District of Iloilo.
Excerpts from the Dec. 27, 2018 issue of Panay News:
GARIN MAULS POLICEMAN
Cong. Richard, Mayor Oca face assault raps
Charges of physical injuries, alarm and scandal, assault to a person in authority, grave coercion, and grave threats would be filed against Cong. Oscar “Richard” Garin Jr. (1st District, Iloilo) and his father, Mayor Oscar “Oca” Garin Sr. of Guimbal, Iloilo.
Police Officer 3 Federico Macaya Jr. of the Guimbal police station complained that the congressman mauled him, slapped and spat on his face before dawn yesterday near the town hall while the mayor was training a .45 pistol at him.
“I’m taking this incident as an affront to me. I will not let this pass without taking action,” according to Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao, Western Visayas police director.
Bulalacao then announced he requested the Department of Interior and Local Government for the cancellation of Mayor Garin’s deputation over the police and recalled Congressman Garin’s two police escorts.
And this is just foreplay. I’m sure there’s still more exciting and action-filled episodes from the “Garin peepshow”, making the stint of DILG-6 new regional director Ariel Iglesia exciting to say the least.
It was a one-sided “boxing match” between Congressman Garin and an unarmed handcuffed Police Officer 3 Federico Macaya Jr. To be specific it was more like the good congressman from the 1st District making the policeman his own version of a punching bag.
All happening under the watchful eyes of the distinguished and honorable mayor of the Municipality of Guimbal Oca Garin (Richard’s father) while brandishing a loaded .45 caliber pistol.
In all probability Mayor Oca was brandishing the .45 caliber pistol more for the benefit of son Richard as an inspiration to land his punches more solidly on the “punching bag”…err…handcuffed PO3 Federico Macaya Jr.
Unfortunately Richard prefers slapping the handcuffed PO3 Macaya.
Seriously, what kind of a man slaps another man? Perhaps those who join beauty contests, either Miss Gay or Miss Universe.
While all this “bitch slapping” was going on, the Chief of Police of the Municipality of Guimbal, Senior Inspector Antonio Monreal, was nearby, scared shitless to do anything to help his fellow policeman. We cannot specifically say, neither confirm, but some people were saying he was peeing in his trousers.
This blatant display of abuse is the purest form of bullying, the classic “waslik poder.”
Did anybody hear Cong. Richard Garin say to PO3 Federico Macaya Jr. “dignidad o bogbog”?
I was sort of expecting classic bullies to come out with classic bully statements of that sort.
More excerpts from the Dec. 27 issue of Panay News:
According to Bulalacao, what happened was a disrespect to a police officer in uniform and an insult to his leadership as regional police director.
No less than Philippine National Police’s (PNP) Director General Oscar Albayalde ordered him to recall the congressman’s police escorts and file criminal cases against the Garins, said Bulalacao.
“Hindi ako galit sa pagkatao nila. Galit ako sa ginawa nila sa pulis na naka-uniform pa. I will help our people file criminal charges against them and I will see to it that they will not have any services from the PNP,” said Bulalacao. “Chief PNP Albayalde is taking this incident as an affront to the police organization.”
President Rodrigo Duterte has already ordered the Secretary of DILG, Eduardo M. Año, to file charges against the Garin father and son and they were filed before the Ombudsman, Dec. 27.
Albayalde also ordered the cancellation of all permits to carry firearms outside of residence and license to own and posses’ firearms issued by the PNP to Congressman Richard and Mayor Oscar Garin and to turn over all their firearms to the PNP.
With these high profile cases filed against the Garin father and son tandem, expect suspensions and other sanctions to come their way.
If it rains it really pours. We have that pesky Dengvaxia issue that hounds Richard’s wife, former Health secretary Janette Garin now running as 1st District representative, then we now have this mauling incident; on top of it all, it’s an election year.
And you know who else will be greatly affected by this mauling issue? Yup, no other than wannabe Iloilo governor Ferjenel Biron.
Certainly not good to be politically allied with politicians mauling policemen or vaccinating children with experimental drugs i.e. Dengvaxia. (brotherlouie16@gmail.com/PN)
