Pimentel urges Pangandaman to resign
By Christine Avendaño
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 21:49:00 01/06/2009
Filed Under: Golf club mauling incident, Government, Politics
MANILA, Philippines—Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said on Tuesday Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman should resign from his post following the controversy involving him and his sons in a brawl with another family inside a golf club in Antipolo last month.
"He (Pangandaman) was there and he had the moral authority and moral superiority on his sons and bodyguards... he should have exercised them to stop it,'' Pimentel said in a phone interview.
"He should resign not only because he's an incompetent secretary of DAR (Department of Agrarian Reform) but this (controversy) doesn't help him at all,'' he added.
Pimentel made the statement a day after Pangandaman's sons, Nasser Jr. and Hussein, filed charges of physical injuries against businessman Delfin de la Paz and his 14-year-old son, who also filed similar charges against them and their bodyguards following the December 26 melee inside the Valley Golf and Country Club in Antipolo.
The elder De la Paz and his son Bino accused the Pangandamans of beating them up after an argument over golf etiquette at the country club.
But the Pangandamans denied the allegation, saying it was De la Paz who started the fight.
The agrarian reform secretary was present during the incident but no charges were filed against him. But many groups are seeking for Pangandaman's resignation.
Pimentel said Pangandaman "should consider resigning because he has been involved in many controversies.''
Pimentel had earlier been questioning Pangandaman over the DAR's use of funds from ill gotten wealth of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos which was funding the government's agrarian reform program in the country.
The senator had so far not found satisfactory Pangandaman’s explanations during hearings held in the last two months by the Senate.
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