Cebu town vice mayor’s scandal unfolds

LAWYER Jiecel Tiu files a case of frustrated murder against Pearl Ungab, wife of Ronda town Vice Mayor Jonah John Ungab, after she was allegedly attacked by Pearl with a baseball bat. Pearl has accused Tiu of having an affair with the vice mayor, which Tiu denied. CHRISTIAN MANINGO/CEBU DAILY NEWS

CEBU CITY—The pregnant wife of Ronda town Vice Mayor Jonah John Ungab is facing charges for attacking a female lawyer with a baseball bat for allegedly having an affair with her husband.

But Pearl Ungab, 41 and seven weeks pregnant, was placed under hospital arrest because of her condition.

Jiecel Tiu, 30, filed frustrated murder charges against Ungab at the prosecutor’s office on Friday for attacking her on Echavez Extension in Barangay Cogon Ramos, this city.

Tiu said she was inside her red Toyota Vios and about to leave the parking lot of Centro Maximo Building when Ungab arrived on board a black Nissan Navarra.

Ungab’s pickup truck blocked the exit area. After a few minutes, Ungab parked her car, prompting Tiu to drive her Toyota Vios out of the parking lot.

But Ungab went down from her vehicle, approached Tiu and banged her vehicle’s window with her fist.

“She tried to open the door. Since could not do it, she ran back to her Nissan Navarra and I proceeded to exit the parking area. But then Pearl chased my car and purposely smashed the passenger window at the back of my car. I got really scared and proceeded to leave the parking area,” Tiu said.

After a few minutes, Tiu said Ungab rammed her Nissan Navarra into her Toyota Vios several times.

Out of fear, Tiu said she stopped her car near the office of the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) on Echavez Extension.

But Ungab went down her vehicle and smashed the driver’s window of Tiu’s car using a baseball bat.

“When the window got destroyed, she then opened the lock and hit me with the baseball bat,” Tiu said.

“I still have the seat belt on, so while sitting down, I decided to move my body and head to the left. But she still hit me with the baseball bat,” she said.

Tiu said a Citom officer arrived and took the baseball bat away from Ungab.

She said Ungab tried to escape but was stopped by people in the area. Tiu had bruises on her left shoulder and a wound behind her left ear.

Tiu was brought to a hospital and released after her wounds were treated.

Tiu denied having an illicit affair with Ungab’s husband, although she worked at the Ungab Gealon and Associates, a law firm of Vice Mayor Ungab, for four years until she decided to leave because of alleged harassment by the vice mayor’s wife.

“Is this the first time she (Pearl) attacked me? No. Am I her first victim? No,” said Tiu.

“Even before this happened, she already threatened me a number of times,” she said.

Tiu said she left the vice mayor’s law office because “his wife kept on following me.”

“She has been fabricating stories and evidence against me.” said Tiu.