AFTER over a week of keeping mum, vice-mayoral bet and Barangay Sucad Chairman Nelson Manuel finally broke his silence and denied accusations of indiscriminate firing and grave threat thrown at him by an ex-councilman in the same village.
On November 13, former Barangay Sucad kagawad (councilman) Bernardo Valencia alleged that Manuel threatened him with a gun to his face and fired the gun in the air during a public gathering.
Valencia is an identified coordinator-leader of the camp of incumbent Mayor Peter Nucom, who is also eyeing the vice-mayoralty seat in the coming May 2019 polls against Manuel and three-termer Councilor Jay Torres.
In a phone interview with Sun.Star Pampanga, Manuel categorically denied what he claimed as “baseless accusations” and asserted that he is ready to face the alleged “orchestrated cases” filed against him by Valencia.
“I went to the venue because I was informed that there was a commotion in Purok 7 and as barangay chairman, it is my duty to maintain peace and order in my jurisdiction,” Manuel narrated.
“When I arrived, I saw Mr. Valencia distributing envelopes while the people were falling in line disorganized. I approached him (Valencia) and asked what was he doing. His response was ‘You do not have business here so don’t meddle,’ so I left him alone and told the people to go home,” he added.
Manuel, however, claimed that he “did not threaten him verbally or physically, and did not point or fire a gun at anyone anywhere.”
Neither did he bring a gun during the said incident, he said.
“Mr. Valencia was actually the one who disrespected me and then all of a sudden, they reversed the story and I was the one who threatened Mr. Valencia,” he stressed.
‘Overkill’
Meanwhile, Manuel lambasted the local police for allegedly “overreacting” to the situation and treating him as a fugitive and a threat to local security.
He disclosed that some six police patrols from Apalit and other nearby towns with at least five policemen onboard each vehicle were posted around his house within the day of November 13.
“I was astounded with their response. Imagine at least 30 policemen around your house. I am not an enemy of the state nor was there an arrest warrant issued against me yet. That is overkill!” he noted.
Manuel accused Nucom of allegedly abusing his authority as a local chief executive by ordering the policemen to “respond across the usual protocol against one harmless individual.”
Meanwhile, Manuel said he will be facing the charges filed against him by Valencia and is set to file his counter-affidavit on November 27.
He also issued a message to the camp of Nucom, saying: “Stop playing dirty. Let the election process make its way and let the people decide.”