Byron, American settle feud in barangay hall

Three weeks after they argued in a gun-toting incident in Corona del Mar, American resident Wayne Morris and Byron Garcia shook hands and settled their differences at the Pooc barangay hall in Talisay City yesterday morning.

“It was never my intention to pursue legal action against Byron,” said Morris in a letter to barangay captain Doroteo Emit who read it aloud.

“I believe Byron is a good guy deep inside and believe he was doing his duty on behalf of some homeowner to remove the ‘Slow Down’ signs.”

Morris apologized for the Sept. 20 confrontation outside his home where he put up road barriers that Garcia, a neighbor, insisted on taking away.

During the exchange of heated words, Garcia brandished an AK-47 assault rifle. Garcia filed a charge of “oral defamation” against Morris last Sept. 20 while Morris filed charges of grave threats and grave coercion against Garcia two days later at the Pooc barangay hall in Talisay.

Morris said he was just protecting his family as a father. In the heat of the moment, he admitted he may have “pushed Byron’s buttons.”

“I’m not here to argue and fight. I want to smooth it out. People say that I’m doing this to ‘avoid getting deported’ but I need to fight for my right,” Morris said.

Garcia said he submitted his complaint to the Talisay City Prosecutor’s Office but will withdraw it after hearing Morris’ letter of apology.

With this, the Pooc barangay captain turned down Garcia’s request for a certification to file action since Garcia wanted to settle the dispute in the barangay level.

Morris said he would withdraw his affidavit signed with the developer Filinvest because he wanted an amicable settlement, a move which was advised by the barangay captain.

“I could retract all the statements if that would alleviate the case. I just want to live in peace,” said the American.

“If Filinvest and the police did not contact me, I wouldn’t have filed a case,” said Morris.

“I hope we can move on and achieve greater things in peace. Dialogue is the greater force. I think Byron was doing his duty. I was just doing my duty to protect my family,” Morris said.

A separate charge is pending with the Talisay prosecutor’s office against Garcia for illegal possession of a firearm since he lacked a permit to carry the AK-47 outside the residence.

Garcia said he wants to pursue his case against Filinvest for its alleged failure to fulfill promises to build several amenities in Corona del Mar.

Garcia was elected president of the subdivision’s homeowners association last month to challenge an existing homeowner’s association, whose officers he said were living in Manila and were actually representatives of Filinvest.

“Everything I do is job-related. I needed Morris’ apology because there were things that he said,” said Garcia. /Rhea Ruth V. Rosell, Correspondent