Mayor Hagedorn vs Batangas gov Sanchez

[RedHorse]

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan -- Mayor Edward S. Hagedorn, head of the government's anti-jueteng task force and this city's mayor, yesterday said he refused to be drawn into a word war with Batangas Governor Armand Sanchez after the latter described him as a "mad dog" for alleging that the illegal numbers game had resurfaced in Batangas.

"If by calling me names Governor Sanchez is issuing a form of a challenge in public to test my person and character, I gladly accept the challenge," Hagedorn said in a statement emailed to the Inquirer.

"I will gladly face him man to man in any kind of fight -- mano y mano or any weapon of his choice, including a duel using the famous world-famous Beinte Nuwebe, the Batangas fan knife. No bodyguards, just the two of us in mortal combat," he added.

Sanchez on Friday called Hagedorn a bang-aw, a Batangueño slang for "mad dog," after a journalist asked the governor's reaction on the latter's alleged statement that the illegal numbers racket has resurfaced in Batangas province and other parts of Luzon.

"Bang-aw siya. Baka siya ang nagpapa-jueteng. Bakit niya alam na bumalik na ang jueteng? (He's a mad dog. He could be behind the jueteng operations. How did he know that jueteng has resumed?)" Sanchez said.

"I'm the governor here, I should know better than him. Even my mayors don't know anything about the supposed resumption of jueteng," he added.

Hagedorn lamented Sanchez's verbal attack as he denied the allegation.

"I have never issued any statement that jueteng has resurfaced in Batangas. This is a brazen lie, a nasty rumor that the gullible governor bit hook-line-and-sinker and irresponsibly responded to by maligning my person and office."

He said Sanchez could have called him up to check if he issued such a statement.

"Any sober, reasonable political leader would have done so. Instead he resorted to verbal abuse and ridiculed me in public. This is deplorable, to say the least," Hagedorn said.

Hagedorn said the records would show that he continued to maintain that local officials and the Philippine National Police have stopped organized, syndicate-run jueteng in Northern and Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog and the National Capital Region since the Anti Jueteng Task Force deadline on Sept. 15 was imposed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Only sporadic reports of guerrilla-type jueteng operations, which are more of scams than organized illegal gambling rackets have been received by the Anti-Jueteng Task Force from Pangasinan Archbishop Oscar Cruz and those reported by the media, he said.

"I am amazed that a character like Sanchez whose origins come from the very bowels of the underworld to the provincial capitol in Batangas could be so naïve and gullible as to believe in rumors. For this lapse, I am so amused and feel so sorry for him," he said.

However, Hagedorn said calling me a "mad dog" is another thing.

"No Hagedorn would simply allow this to go unchallenged. Not now. Not ever. I am averse to engaging Governor Sanchez in a word war. If he's spoiling for a fight, then let's fight. Stop talking. Name the time and place and form of combat, I will be there," Hagedorn said.

Prior to his election as mayor of this city, Hagedorn killed two policemen during the martial law years in self-defense and was acquitted by the courts for the slayings.

He said he was also the city's jueteng lord but gave up his illegal numbers game racket when he was elected in 1992.

[rsnald]

OT
kung makita mo yan si Sanchez (dating mayor yan sa Sto. Tomas batangas), walang pinagkaiba yan sa itsura ni Hagedorn..preho silang de bigote na mukhang hoodlum

[RedHorse]

OT
kung makita mo yan si Sanchez (dating mayor yan sa Sto. Tomas batangas), walang pinagkaiba yan sa itsura ni Hagedorn..preho silang de bigote na mukhang hoodlum

bwa ha ha ha ha..

[konde]

e di match pala laban!

bigyan na ng tig-isang balisong para magkaalaman na! at least siguradong may isang mababawas na jueteng lord!

[CoDer]

Kung ako kay Sanchez dapat hangang word war na lang sya. Mamaya baka ngatog tuhod nya kay hagedorn.

[oldblue]

"I will gladly face him man to man in any kind of fight -- mano y mano or any weapon of his choice, including a duel using the famous world-famous Beinte Nuwebe, the Batangas fan knife. No bodyguards, just the two of us in mortal combat,"

wow! mortal kombat!

[baiskee]

ubusan na lang ng bigote...kung sino una maubos, sya talo.

[GlennSter]

hahaha...astig talaga ang mga ito..tsktsk,

pero yeah...sanchez should not bite the bait.patay siya kay hagedorn

SA PULA AKO!!!!

[StraightSix]

Isang mayor at isang gubernador ... walang pinagkaiba sa mga tambay at siga sa kanto, pare-pareho lang na mga barumbado at bastos

[BlueBimmer]

hanep action!