ILOILO City – A pedicab driver accused a city councilor here of beating him up on Thursday afternoon outside the Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral.
Fifty-one-year-old Ever Hinojales of Barangay San Isidro, Jaro went to the Jaro police station and claimed Councilor Eduardo Peñaredondo kicked, shoved and strangled him.
According to Hinojales, he was outside the church around 2:40 p.m. when he saw the councilor about to park at the area with a “Don’t block the driveway” sign near a bank.
The complainant, also a caretaker at the church, pointed the sign and told Peñaredondo not to park there.
But the councilor was enraged, claimed Hinojales.
He alleged that Peñaredondo got out of his car and pushed, kicked and choked him.
No such physical altercation happened, stressed Peñaredondo, although he admitted there was a “verbal tussle.”
According to the councilor, he was parking his car when the pedicab driver told him to move forward, which he followed. But Hinojales reportedly told him to move forward again; he ignored him that time and instead proceeded to an automated teller machine booth of an adjacent bank.
The verbal tussle happened afterwards. They were pacified by the bank security guard.
Peñaredondo said he would offer no apology.
“I never abused my authority and I will not ask sorry kay wala ‘ko may nahimo nga sala sa iya,” Peñaredondo added.
Over DYOK radio station, the councilor further said he was too old to get involved in what Hinojales was alleging.
“May edad na ta. Mga pitsi-pitsi waay ta ya ga-amo na,” Peñaredondo stressed.
Their brickbat didn’t turn physical, he reiterated.
“Waay kami ka hamrasanay a. Ano ko ya agi? Nga-a sipaon, nga-a sumbagon?..Waay ko akon ya a. Siya aggressor. Siya ang ma-attack sa akon,” said Peñaredondo./PN
