Former village chief claims mayor’s bodyguard punched him

By Felipe V. Celino

ROXAS CITY, Capiz — A former village chief complained that he was punched Friday morning, Feb. 27, by a bodyguard of President Roxas Mayor Receliste Tanoy Escolin inside a coffee shop in Poblacion, President Roxas, Capiz.

President Roxas police said the incident happened around 6:45 a.m. while Escolin was drinking coffee.

Police said the complainant, identified as Baltar, entered the shop and ordered coffee, and his foot was stained by coffee as Escolin mixed his drink.

Police said a heated argument followed, and one of the mayor’s bodyguards punched Baltar, injuring his eye and eyebrow.

Bystanders pacified the incident and applied first aid to Baltar’s eye injuries, police said.

Escolin denied the allegation and claimed it was the former village chief who started the confrontation.

Escolin told police that while he was mixing coffee, Baltar uttered unpleasant words and attempted to punch him.

Police said Baltar was among the complainants who filed a disqualification case against Escolin during the last elections.

The Commission on Elections, or Comelec, recently disqualified Escolin en banc after finding he had completed three terms as mayor of President Roxas, although he ran again and was declared the winner against three opponents, according to the report.

Escolin asserted that he had not completed three terms because he was suspended for 90 days by the Office of the Ombudsman for simple misconduct, the report said.

Comelec recently gave Escolin five days to comment on the petition filed by Baltar’s group and an opponent, former Sangguniang Bayan member Bart Locsin.

Philippine election rules generally limit local officials such as mayors to three consecutive terms, and Comelec rules on candidate qualification and disqualification cases.