Dela Paz says Valley Golf decision unfair
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 01/12/2009 9:41 AM
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Businessman and golfer Delfin dela Paz on Monday labeled as unfair the decision of Valley Golf and Country Club in Antipolo City banning him from the golf course for allegedly starting a brawl with sons of Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman last month.
"It's too unfair. We were expelled. What will be the future of my 14-year old? What will happen to his golfing career? They (Pangandamans) have a lot to pay to golf courses, we don't have that much money. Valley's decision is too unfair, they should've been objective in their investigation," dela Paz told ABS-CBN's "Umagang Kay Ganda."
"What they did to us was very vindictive, they made it appear that they're only believing the testimony of the other side, which is nothing but lies," he added.
Dela Paz said Valley Golf officials gave too much weight to the testimony of the caddies of Mayor Nasser Pangandaman Jr. of Masiu, Lanao del Sur, and his brother Mohammed Hussein.
The caddies earlier said it was dela Paz who started the brawl with the Pangandaman brothers when he allegedly poked the mayor with his umbrella during an argument over golf etiquette. The poking incident prompted Hussein to punch dela Paz, which started the brawl.
The brawl has sparked a firestorm of criticism against the Pangandamans after it was found out that de la Paz's 14-year-old son, Bino, was mauled during the brawl. The Dela Paz family and the Pangandamans have filed charges against each other over the incident.
On Sunday the Board of Directors of Valley Golf expelled dela Paz in relation to the golf brawl in Antipolo last month. With his expulsion, his two dependents--golfer children Bino and Bambee--are no longer allowed to play in the golf course.
Valley Golf also imposed a two-year suspension on Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman Sr., while his two children were banned for life.
Dela Paz, meanwhile, accused the Pangandamans of spreading lies about the incident. He said that, contrary to the Valley Golf report, he did not curse at the Pangandamans and that his 14-year-old son, Bino, did not hit the mayor with a golf iron.
He said that during the investigation, Valley Golf officials kept asking questions regarding his daughter Bambee's blog, and his family's media appearances.
"We noticed that they have asked a lot of questions which are not related to the incident at all. They even berated us for placing Valley Golf in a bad light after appearing in media. They even criticized Bambee for blogging, which shouldn't even be part of the investigation. They scolded us during their investigation," he said.
He said the Valley Golf management also failed to focus on the beating he and Bino got from the hands of the Pangandamans' bodyguards at the Valley Golf clubhouse.
"Those bodyguards were carrying guns. Why didn't they focus on that?" heasked.
Dela Paz dismissed speculations that his family was planning to enter into an amicable settlement with the Pangandamans regarding the case.
"There's no truth to that. There were press releases that they (Pangandamans) were open for amicable settlement, but it seems that all of it was merely a media hype. We never entered into any agreement whatsoever," he said.
He also appealed to witnesses of the golf brawl to "not let themselves be used by powerful people," saying that it has greatly affected his son who no longer wants to play golf because of the incident.
"(Bino) doesn't want to play anymore. He said to me yesterday 'Daddy, why are they like that? We were the ones who were beaten up, but we got expelled. Don't we have a place in this world anymore?' It really pains us to see that this happened after all that we went through," he said.
"I appeal to all the caddies being investigated, to the employees, to all those who witnessed the incident, how we were beaten up, and even those members who saw what happened, please tell the truth. This is for God, it's not about us anymore. Our names have already been ruined," he added.
