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Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Cotabato scions in trouble anew
By Ben O. Tesiorna
SCIONS of powerful and influential families in Cotabato were again in trouble figuring in a melee that started in a bar and ended with a chase along the corridors of the Davao Medical Center.
Involved in the incident were Mohar Sinsuat Adin, Jay Uzman, Lovell Fernandez, Joey Esguerra, and Renante Palmis.
Esguerra and Palmis were not together at that time, although they know each other and it was Palmis who helped bring Esguerra to the hospital.
Reports gathered by Sun.Star Davao showed that Esguerra's group was talking with three ladies at another table at past 2 a.m. Sunday.
"It was claimed that Sinsuat's group threw ice at them. Esguerra rose to confront them but was instead mauled," said Melanio Dilan, chief investigator of Sta. Ana police.
Esguerra was hit with a bottle of beer and a fight ensued.
Palmis, Esguerra's friend, rushed the victim to the San Pedro Hospital.
Palmis reported the incident to the Sta. Ana Police Precinct.
When he returned to San Pedro Hospital, he was advised to bring Esguerra to Davao Medical Center so that they can immediately get a report from the medico legal.
But as Palmis entered Davao Medical Center, Sinsuat with around seven other companions who are onboard two vehicles arrived.
The young men disembarked and hit Palmis's red Honda Civic several times, breaking all its windows.
Esguerra, who was still inside the car, ran to the emergency room and Sinsuat's group chased him not minding the security guards who tried to stop them.
"The chase reached the second floor of the Davao Medical Center, causing fear among the patients. At the second floor, a soldier was apparently watching over a patient and he was the one who was able to order Sinsuat's group to leave," Dilan said.
A video was taken of the chase inside the hospital.
In the footage, a guard was attempting to hold the group of Sinsuat from leaving the hospital premises but Sinsuat's group went on to board a Honda CRV and just sped off not minding the guard.
Sinsuat's group was however apprehended by the Buhangin Police a few minutes after.
Unconfirmed reports said the Buhangin Police called up the Sta. Ana Police requesting they turnover Sinsuat's group to their precinct since the incident happened within Sta. Ana's area of responsibility.
Dilan on Tuesday questioned Buhangin police's turnover of the troublemakers to the Sta. Ana police.
He said the Buhangin police should have conducted an investigation first against Sinsuat's group before turning them over to the Sta. Ana since the suspects were also involved in the Davao Medical Center incident, which is under the Buhangin area of responsibility.
Records in the Sta. Ana police showed that Sinsuat was the first one who reported the incident to the police with an entry time of 4:05 in the morning.
Sinsuat claimed that he was the one who was mauled by "unidentified group of persons" who also struck him with a bottle resulting to injuries in his elbow.
At 7:55 a.m. that same day, Palmis reported the incident. He claimed it was Sinsuat's group who mauled Esguerra and smashed his car.
Palmis was the first to report the incident to the Sta. Ana police but for unknown reasons police blotter showed otherwise.
Superintendent Leonardo Felonia said the police blotter mix up was unintentional and that they had already remedied it.
Felonia said they are also set to file charges against Sinsuat's group and that they are just waiting for the complainant to show up.
Esguerra was already released from the hospital and is said to be recuperating at their home in Tagum City.
Felonia said they might file physical injury against Sinsuat and another companion.
He said they are still gathering more evidences and witnesses against the suspects.
Felonia said the suspects are now at large.
Sta. Ana police got hold of the suspects but released them few hours after.
Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte was reportedly irked by the incident especially that it happened right inside the Davao Medical Center.
Duterte earlier made a warning to scions of influential families from Cotabato to behave whenever they are in Davao City.
It seems the mayor's warning fell on deaf ears. The incident is not the first that happened in the city.
A few years back, grandson of Maguindanao Governor Datu Andal Ampatuan shot and killed Carlo Asistido inside The Venue compound.
A group of Cotabato scions also roughed up Duterte's son, Paolo, two years ago at the Apo View Hotel, while another Ampatuan fired his gun at the Rizal Promenade at around the same period.
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (May 17, 2006 issue)
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