Online petition launched for DAR chief, son's resignations

MANILA, Philippines - An online petition is now in the works to demand the ouster of Agrarian Reform secretary Nasser Pangandaman and his son, Maslu, Lanao del Sur mayor Nasser Jr, for the scandal at a golf course in Pasig City last December. The Ang Kapatiran National Party said in its website that as of Sunday, it had gathered at least 437 signatures seeking the resignation of the Pangandamans. "We must restore power to the people and support the likes of the father and son Delfin and Bino dela Paz who were brutally mauled because they just wanted to be respected as ordinary citizens playing golf," the party said. It also urged the public to "vote out all trapos (traditional politicians) in 2010." Pangandaman and his son face charges for allegedly roughing up golfer Delfin dela Paz and his son Bino last Dec. 26 at an Antipolo City golf course. They filed counter-charges against the Dela Pazes. The elder Pangandaman, who Presidential Management Staff (PMS) chief Cerge Remonde said only enjoys the "benefit of the doubt" pending an investigation of the incident, apologized for the incident, but the Dela Pazes rejected it. Olongapo City councilor JC delos Reyes, a member of the party, had condemned the assault allegedly perpetrated by the Pangandamans. "We feel for the victims and are insulted by Secretary Pangandaman's apology for what he called a 'brawl' while threatening to file counter charges against those they have victimized. Their self-serving version of the story is quite a fairy-tale considering the Pangandaman's armed bodyguards as against a 56 year old father with his teen-age son and daughter," he said. "From any standpoint, the Secretary and his son displayed arrogance and grave abuse, to think that the Secretary is a member of the GRP Peace Panel," he added. Delos Reyes said these circumstances warrant the resignation of the two, adding that a public office is a public trust. "This is to spare such public offices from the disgrace and ignominy that they have brought to it. Their ways have no place in government," he said. He called on government to ensure the speedy resolution of this criminal/administrative case and that these public officials be preventively suspended. "We ask the public to be in solidarity with the De la Paz family and all other families who have been victimized, one way or another by the vile and callous disposition of those in power, particularly, Edith Burgos whose son Jonas remains to be a 'desaparecido.' We sympathize with the thousands of victims of human rights abuses across this nation the abusers of which are traditional politicians and warlords," he said. "Ang Kapatiran National Political Party looks ahead and works towards that day when this nation shall have rid itself of warlords and trapos to allow for a new beginning when we can truly say that ours is a nation of laws and not of men," he added. - GMANews.TV