On Target
Ramon Tulfo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Jan 15, 2009

I sent one of my staff members at ''Isumbong mo kay Tulfo," Alin Ferrer, Tuesday to the Valley Golf and Country Club to investigate discreedy the much-publicized brawl in the golf course.

Alin did a very good job of sleuthing, disguising herself as a secretary to a rich boss who supposedly wanted to be a member.

There was no way Alin could have gathered information if asked her to collate as a media person since the management has ordered all employees not to talk to the media.

From her talks with waiters, umbrella girls, grass cutters and caddies, here's what Alin gathered: Delfin de la Paz. 56, deserved to be beaten up and expelled from Valley Golf.

De la Paz, according to the employees, started the fight when he slapped Mayor Nasser Pangandaman Jr. of Masiu, Lanao del Sur, with an umbrella on the buttocks.
Pangandaman took it as an insult and a heated argument ensued.

It's true the Pangandamans overtook the De la Pazes on one hole, but they had asked for permission from 14-year-old Bino, one of the club's umbrella girls said.
The De la Pazes, the umbrella girl said, were taking too long on a hole that the Pangandamans were waiting to use after the De la Pazes. But the elder De la Paz ap-parently didn't know Bino gave the permission and confronted the Pangandamans.

"Nagpaalam kami sa kasama mo (I asked for permission from your companion)," Pangandaman Jr. told De la Paz, referring to Bino.

"Kanino, kanino (From whom, from whom) ?" the elder De la Paz asked Pangandaman, shouting.

Other golfers and employees pacified the two.

The quarrel didn't end at the course even after the parties had been pacified.

At the Valley Golf dining area, the elder De la Paz again confronted Mayor Pangandaman over the incident at the course.

A second altercation took place.

The employees that Alin interviewed couldn't say who dealt the first blow, but they said De la Paz traded blows
with Mayor Pangandaman and his brother Hussein.

A melee ensued with many people, including other golfers, trying to break up the fight.

The bodyguards of the Pangandamans, according to the employees, didn't take part in the assault.

"Kasama sa mga umawat yung mga security nina Pangandaman (The bodyguards took part in pacifying)," said a waiter.

The employees could not tell who hit Bino, who was bleeding on the right ear.

But they reiterated the Pan-gandaman bodyguards never took part in attacking the De la Pazes.

"Mayabang naman kasi si De la Paz, nagka-aregtuhan na gusto pang makipag-away (De la Paz was arrogant, everything had been settled but he still looked for a fight)," said another waiter.

All the employees Alin talked with were one in saying De la Paz deserved to be expelled for starting the fight.

"Dapat lang sa kanya yun, mayabang siya (He deserved to be expelled because he was arrogant)," said a caddy.

A waiter who took part in the conversations with Alin at the restaurant nodded his head in approval.

Most of the employees who talked with Alin had nodding good to say about the elder De la Paz, one describing him as "matapobre" (snooty), and another as "mainit ang ulo" (hotheaded).

I have no reason to doubt Alin, who's been with me two years after she obtained her bachelor of arts in Creative Writing from the University of the Philippines (UP) in 1995.
From what Alin told me, I apologize to the Pangandamans for the harsh words I've said about them in this space.

But I still fault the Pangandamans—Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Sr. in particular—for not exercising maximum patience with the hot-headed DelaPaz.