I quote what Nasser Pangandam Sr. said: “They should be sensitive to the feelings of others, the past few days have been very painful for us.” Look who is talking. Was he sensitive to the feelings of de la Paz and family when his son and his son’s bodyguards mauled Mr. de la Paz and his 14-year-old son despite of the pleadings of the 14 year old teen? Mr. Pangandaman is talking as if his son and his son’s bodyguards were the ones mauled by Mr. de la Paz and his 14-year-old son…tell that to the marines. The best thing you can do and your son is to resign as a secretary and your hot headed son as Mayor. If your son can do that in a prestigious club, then for sure in his town where he is a mayor he must be acting as if he is the god. All the readers’ guess is as good as mine.
Bayani Magtanggol, Riyadh, via e-mail
January 17th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
I am of the opinion that Valley Golf should have immediately investigated the matter and tried to patch up the quarrel between two club members, de la Paz and Pangandanan. If the matters can not be resolved and since both parties have filed charges against each other, Valley Golf should keep its findings confidential. Indefinite suspension for both parties until the litigations are resolved should be the proper step to maintain the club’s social prestige.
Being a golfer myself, I can imagine how difficult it is for Valley Golf to obtain unbiased testimonies from the caddies because their services are being paid by their respective “bosses”. It is also not improbable for some of the staff to succumb to pressures coming from certain sectors. The Valley Golf Club should withhold its findings and allow the court to conduct its independent investigation and persuade the parties to accept mediation proceedings.
It is also inappropriate for Korina Sanchez of ANC to publicize the findings of Valley Golf in her program. The Valley Golf “brawl” is still considered a private dispute even if it involved government officials. Charges were filed so let the court resolve the dispute. De la Paz was correct in not attending Korina’s program because there is no journalistic value in bringing the matter to the TV audience. It is purely a happening that resulted from unrestrained temperaments of players on a golf course.
Overall, it is still the responsibility of Valley Golf Club to continue to work for an amicable settlement between its two members.
January 16th, 2009 at 11:59 pm
#33 Harry King Says:
January 15th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
Oops, sorry for getting the names wrong. Padanganans should be Pangandamans. I hope I get it right this time.
January 16th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
with valley golf expelling de la paz, the club has probably committed its biggest mistake. by retaining pangandaman, the club has surrendered the fact that armed bodyguards can come beat up anyone the pangandamans have crossed.
no wonder dela paz is having trouble selling his valley golf shares. no one in his right mind would join a club where a sword of damocles hangs over his head, as the presence of pangandaman presents.
both members should have been kicked out as both members traded blows. it takes two to tango, so to speak.
January 15th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
If, indeed, criminal cases on the Valley Golf Brawl were filed by both parties, the Board of the Valley Golf club should withhold their findings to avoid adding a slant to the decisions that may be rendered by the courts. The Valley Golf Club should have simply banned both Padanganans and dela Pazes until the cases are resolved by the courts.
What happens if the court’s findings differ from that of the Valley Golf and Country Club? Will the Club join the Brawl too?
January 14th, 2009 at 9:13 am
As a golfer myself, I can understand how Pangandaman and De la Paz must have felt which led to that brawl. Only a golfer could say how it feels when someone tries to overtake your flight and plays ahead of you without the least courtesy of asking permission which is a big no no in golf.
The consequence of that breach of protocol is usually the enraged flight teeing off even if the flight ahead is within hitting distance. This is a provocative act that invites confrontation. I confess I had been guilty of that myself having lost my cool when I felt other players try to pull a fast one and ignore the rules of golf. Somehow confrontation is avoided when offending parties come to their senses and apologize for the infraction or cooler heads intervene.
Obviously, that was not the case that led to a brawl between Pangandaman and De la Paz. It seems obvious DAR Sec. Pangandaman did not do enough to explain or calm down the enraged De la Paz. Being a high cabinet official and senior among the group he would be given the respect to be listened to had he been pro-active in calming down De la Paz. Instead he let his young sons argue with an older De la Paz who apparently looked down on the young men and provocatively poked them with his umbrella.
Was Valley Golf’s decision to expel De la Paza and suspend Pangandaman fair? In my opinion, both parties should have been equally penalized. To be fair either both are expelled or suspended because both are as guilty as the other.