Ex-Gov. Henry Teves’ aide accuses Siaton mayor of harassment in Senate

File Picture of Siaton, Negros Oriental Mayor Cezanne Fritz Diaz attending the continuation of the Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs inquiry on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. The probe is on the killing of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo and the spate of recent politically-related killings in various areas of the country. Diaz is a nephew of the slain governor. (Voltaire F. Domingo/Senate PRIB)

MANILA, Philippines — One of the aides of former Negros Oriental Governor Henry Pryde Teves on Thursday claimed he was allegedly harassed by Siaton Mayor Fritz Diaz shortly after the Senate hearing on the case of late Governor Roel Degamo on May 10, 2023.

According to a letter sent to Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa by Atty. Rosel Erames, Pastor Jerome Nalam, one of the resource persons of Teves’ camp, was reportedly harassed by Diaz in a hallway on the second floor of the Senate building after the hearing on Wednesday.

“[…] Pastor Nalam was approached by Mayor Fritz Diaz and his escorts and was harassed by the latter with abusive utterances and malicious imputations, accompanied by inappropriate gestures,” the letter read by dela Rosa said during the hearing of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs.

In the letter, Erames also requested dela Rosa to give them a copy of the CCTV footage containing the alleged confrontation between Diaz and his former employee Nalam.

Diaz admitted that he did talk to Nalam but refuted the latter’s claim of harassment.

“That’s why we are here in the Senate to seek justice. Kung ang utak namin ay warlord pagkamatay agad ni Degamo, pwede naman kami dumiretso patayan na agad,” he said.

(We are here in the Senate to seek justice. If we want war, then immediately after Degamo’s, we can go straight to killing each other.)

“Totoo yung sinabi niya pero hindi ako nag ano ng kamay o nag fight. Sinabi ko, pinatay niyo talaga si Gov. Di niyo ako napatay. Tatlong beses niyo ako in-attempt patayin,” he added.

(What he said is true, but I didn’t use my hand or fight. I just said you killed the governor. You failed to kill me. Three times, you attempted to kill me.)

Pastor Renato Laping, another resource person who witnessed the alleged incident, said he tried to break the fight after seeing Diaz’s hands placed on the “fatal part” of Nalam’s neck.

Nalam said he feels unsafe around Diaz, adding that the latter should be blamed if anything happened to him after the hearing.

For his part, dela Rosa told the resource persons from Degamo and Teves’ sides to avoid contact.

He also ordered the sergeant-at-arms to escort both sides after the hearing.

“Ayaw kong may mangyaring masama, kaya after this hearing wala na sana kayong contact. Wag kayo maglapit. I am directing the sergeant-at-arms to conduct the proper investigation to see to it na pag mayroon na break or mag-adjourn tayo or suspended [bantayan sila],” dela Rosa said.

(I don’t want anything bad to happen, so you should have no contact after this hearing. Don’t come near each other. I am directing the sergeant-at-arms to conduct the proper investigation and keep an eye on them during break or when we adjourn or suspend the hearing.)

During the hearing on May 10, Nalam and Degamo’s former staff Rhilrose Antoinette Torres pointed to the late governor’s family as allegedly the people behind the attack in their home in Dumaguete City in April last year.

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