NBI: Raps filed vs mayor’s aide in QC road rage

Almost five months after figuring in a road rage incident, a bodyguard of Mayor Patrick Meneses of Bulacan, Bulacan province, who allegedly pointed a gun at the family of Inquirer publisher Raul Pangalangan has been charged with grave threats, child abuse and illegal possession of firearms, according to the National Bureau of Investigation.

The mayor’s aide identified as Joel Banatan Piñon of Barangay Bambang, also of Bulacan town, was recognized by the complainants from the photos found on his Facebook account, said NBI head agent Danielito Lalusis.

One photo showed Piñon holding a gun and another placed him with Meneses in the mayor’s office, Lalusis noted. Civil Service Commission records showed that Piñon has been a permanent employee of the local government since July 2014, after being a casual worker for six months.

A check with the Philippine National Police in Camp Crame showed that it had no record of Piñon being a licensed gun owner, the agent said.

The criminal charges were filed last week in the Quezon City prosecutor’s office.

Traumatized family

In earlier statements, Pangalangan said his family members—wife Elizabeth, 21-year-old son Miguel Enrico, daughter-in-law Trizha, his two granddaughters aged 5 and 6, along with their two nannies

—emerged traumatized from a road rage incident on Congressional Avenue Extension, Quezon City, around noon of

Oct. 27, 2014.

In her complaint affidavit, Elizabeth, a law professor at the University of the Philippines and director of the Institute of Human Rights at UP Law Center, said they were in the family’s Fortuner en route to Himlayang Pilipino memorial park when a while Land Cruiser moved into their lane, nearly hitting the Fortuner.

Miguel Enrico, who was driving, moved to the other lane to avoid the “reckless” Land Cruiser, she added.

When the Land Cruiser overtook the Pangalangans’ vehicle for a second time, Elizabeth noticed that it was part of a convoy as a silver Toyota Innova was following it.

“At that stage, I noticed that a silver Innova was following us closely. The Innova swerved into our lane and almost forced us off the road and onto the sidewalk,” she said.

The Innova then drove alongside the Fortuner and a male passenger rolled down his window, pointing his finger and shouting invectives at the UP professor’s son.

‘Get out of the way!’

“Can’t you see that we’re escorting someone? P——– ninyo! Tumabi kayo! (Get out of the way),” Elizabeth quoted the man as saying.

The Innova picked up speed and cut into the Fortuner’s path. The man then got off the Innova with his gun drawn and pointed it at her family members, she said.

As he approached, she yelled at him to say that there were children onboard. The man paused and returned to his vehicle, which then sped off.

Records from the Land Transportation Office showed the mayor’s mother, Priscila, as the listed owner of the Innova (ZEL 124), the NBI said.

Meneses later denied that he was in the vehicle when the incident happened.

The Bulacan mayor is also the partner of actress Ara Mina and formerly of Aiko Melendez, another actress who later became a Quezon City councilor.