A BARANGAY Parian councilor will face criminal and administrative complaints after he allegedly mauled a fellow councilor during their regular council session yesterday morning.
Rodito Villena said that Alan Dilao, who was sitting beside him, challenged him to a fistfight outside the building, but attacked him before they could go out.
Their conflict stemmed from the council’s discussion on the purchase of a truck, which will be used to collect garbage.
“When I butted in to deliver my point, he shut me down and told me not to meddle. Why wouldn’t I when I’m also a member of the council? After that, he challenged me to a fistfight, but when I was about to leave the room, he hit me on my right shoulder,” Villena said.
Dilao, the only Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan ally among the village officials and who was also planning to run for village chief, was reportedly against the purchase.
Villena also alleged that the attending police personnel in Station 1 did not file the blotter report immediately.
The policeman reportedly told him he had no pen to write with.
He said the police officer did not offer any assistance and told him that the barangay can arrest Dilao if they so wish.
“Is it right to reason out the absence of a pen? Why would we even arrest him? Wouldn’t that look like we’re ganging up on him?” Villena asked.
The attending officer, PO2 Edadies Bustarde, denied the allegation. He said Villena went only to file a report on the incident and did not request any other assistance.
“Filing a report is always first come first served regardless of affiliation. In fact, when we heard of the incident, we immediately sent personnel to the session hall to stop them,” he said in a phone interview.
Although he was present when the incident happened, village chief Jeremias Nuñez said he was shocked.
He said they were about to adjourn and were discussing matters not in the agenda when the fight broke out.
Despite Dilao planning to run against him, if not for the postponement of the barangay polls, Nuñez said he sees no political agenda behind the incident.
“We’ve maintained a harmonious relationship here for a long time until it happened. If I were to be followed, I’d like for the two to reach a compromise. But if a case is what he sees as the better solution, I respect that,” he said.
Villena will file tomorrow before the Office of the Ombudsman and Department of Interior and Local Government cases of physical injury, assault and insubordination.
Sun.Star Cebu tried to reach Dilao for his comments, but his contact details were not available as of press time.
