Disbar solon’s son for beating up jeepney driver, transport group urges

MANILA, Philippines—A transport group on Tuesday urged the judiciary to disbar the son of Batangas congressman Sonny Collantes for beating up an elderly jeepney driver because of a traffic altercation.

Piston (or Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide) said the Integrated Bar of the Philippines and the Supreme Court should revoke the license of lawyer King George Leandro Antonio Collantes after a video, circulating online, showed him punching 66-year old Orlando Garcia.

Reports said Collantes and Garcia were arguing because of a traffic altercation in Pasig City last October 29 when the video was recorded. The video, sent to media networks, showed Collantes confronting and then repeatedly punching the jeepney driver.

George San Mateo, Piston national president, said Collantes, who also serves as his father’s chief of staff in Congress, had no right to “to act like a bully and attack a jeepney driver who is also a senior citizen.”

“Walang puwang na magsilbi sa pamahalaan partikular sa Kongreso itong anak ni Cong. Collantes (The son of Cong. Collantes is not worthy of serving in government, particularly in Congress),” San Mateo said in a statement.

He said the Batangas representative should remove his son from the position of chief of staff and hold him accountable for beating up the elderly driver.

INQUIRER.net tried to contact Collantes’ office in Congress but his staff said both the father and the son have yet to face media and give their statement on the issue.