DAR Chief: Don’t condemn my family TJ Burgonio Philippine Daily Inquirer
January 03, 2009
MANILA, Philippines—Admitting that he is hurting, Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman is appealing to the public, specifically the bloggers, to stop vilifying his family.
“We’re being condemned left and right. It’s very painful for us. We’re very much affected by this,” he said in a phone interview on Friday from a beach in Subic, Zambales, where he said his family had hied off for a “much-needed break.”
Pangandaman said he hoped the public would stop the criticisms and let the law run its course on the case arising from the Dec. 26 tee house brawl between his sons and the family of businessman Delfin Dela Paz at the Valley Golf and Country Club in Antipolo City.
“They should be sensitive to the feelings of others. The past few days have been very painful for us,” he said, referring to bloggers who have posted angry comments against his family.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer called Pangandaman, a member of the government peace panel, to get an update on the stalled peace talks with separatist rebels in the southern Philippines. When asked about the incident, he poured out his sentiments.
‘Unfortunate incident’
The Pangandamans have reaped a storm of criticisms in the press and on the Web after Dela Paz’s daughter detailed in her blog how two sons of the Secretary allegedly beat her father and 14-year-old brother, Bino.
The rumpus started when the Dela Pazes accused the Pangandaman group of breaching etiquette by purportedly overtaking their flight while the two families were playing golf.
Pangandaman has apologized to the public over the “unfortunate incident” but maintained that his sons—Mayor Nasser Jr. of Masiu, Lanao del Norte and Hussein—did not instigate the fight.
Pangandaman said the Valley Golf management and the Antipolo police had launched their investigation and the public should defer to this.
Search for solution
“Let the law take its course. I hope there will be a solution to this,” Pangandaman said.
He said he had asked his family not to respond to the criticisms and the angry blogs, even as their lawyers study the possibility of filing countercharges against the Dela Paz family.
“We didn’t go to the golf club to pick a fight. I invited my sons to the club to bond with them because I seldom see them. I guess that’s my only fault,” he said, regretting that he ever asked them to play.
“Nobody wanted this to happen. I’ve been playing golf for 20 years and this is the first time my family was dragged [into a mess like this].”
Spare Arroyo
Pangandaman said his own 8-year-old grandson witnessed the violence, and was traumatized by it.
He appealed to the public not to drag the Cabinet and President Macapagal-Arroyo into the controversy, saying he would deal with this “personal problem.”
“They should not ride on the issue,” he said, referring to farmers who have signed an online petition for his ouster and for a revamp of his department, charging that he has never fully backed their struggle for a genuine agrarian reform.
Pangandaman, who has rebuffed calls for his resignation, said he wasn’t aware of any impending Cabinet overhaul.
“I’m not aware of any revamp. I was with the President for two days, and this was never mentioned,” he said.
