Unprovoked trouble at Hotel del Rio

[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]

[av_heading heading=’Unprovoked trouble at Hotel del Rio’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’18’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY HERBERT VEGO
[/av_heading]

[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
Sunday, March 11, 2018
[/av_textblock]

[av_textblock size=’18’ font_color=” color=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
UNTIL that Wednesday morning (March 7), I had always been a habitual coffee drinker at Hotel del Rio for sentimental reasons. For one, as a student at UP in 1966, I used to pass by what was then the newest hotel in Iloilo City.

Wednesday morning saw me occupying a seat at the hotel’s coffee shop for a scheduled meeting with broadcaster Mike Estaniel, who had just arrived from New York City.

While there, I received a phone call from another broadcaster, Ibrahim Calanao.

I told Ibrahim I was waiting for Mike, but he was welcome to join us for coffee. Agreed.

Having finished my refilled cup and none of the two had arrived yet, I paid my bill, anxious to go home, pack up and catch up with my confirmed Air Asia flight to Manila in the afternoon.

Suddenly, a familiar but angry old man barged in and boxed my left cheek, just under the eye, alerting me to stand up to defend myself. Not satisfied, he hit me again while being restrained by two waiters and his own bodyguard; he was shouting unprintable cusses and curses, poorly imitating the Digong he had despised during the presidential campaign period.

“Why did you punch me?” I shouted back in Ilonggo, “I have done you no wrong!”

I had not expected that treachery from a 77-year-old kumpare, whom I had known for over three decades.

Instinct took over the shocked “me,” shouting, “Arrest him!”

But the security guard and the waiters, who could have held the attacker on citizen’s arrest, let him and his bodyguard run away.

I could hear someone saying nervously that the attacker had attempted to draw a gun but got scared.

Had I been wounded? Blood was seeping from my nasal bridge. To my relief, it was just a small cut inflicted by the nose pad of my eyeglasses that had been swept away.

The madman turned out to be Sumakwel Nava, barangay captain of Libertad, Lapuz and father of Councilor Plaridel Nava. I wondered what could have deranged him.

Meanwhile, two policemen had arrived. I told them that the old man must have listened to his rumor-mongering son who had lumped together on Facebook the local media as “kotongeros” (extortionists), singling out this writer as “bayaran” (hireling) of Cong. Jerry P. Treñas. He did not like my Panay News column that day, “So what if Treñas is running for mayor?”

“Why are you so bitter?”  I asked Plaridel. Unless he had poor comprehension, he should have known that the article merely pointed out the legality of Treñas’ intention to run for mayor despite a past promise to quit politics.

Why restrain him from exercising his freedom? If indeed the people were fed up with Treñas, then let them vote for him, or drop him like a hot potato.

As a lawyer, he should not have prejudged me in the same manner that I had not also called him “kotongero.” Not even “basag-ulero” as others think of him.

Sumakwel should have known I had done no crime against his favorite son. Instead, he should have treasured the long years we had worked and played together in the pursuit of responsible print and broadcast media.

Going back to the Hotel del Rio scandal, Ibrahim Calanao arrived rather late for coffee and for the Mac Nava exhibition. He made up for it by accompanying me and another media man, Vicente “Danny Baby” Foz, to the Arevalo Police Station to report the freak crime for blotter.

More on this on Tuesday. (hvego31@gmail.com/PN)
[/av_textblock]

[/av_one_full]