Flores: ‘Mauling of brgy exec due to drunkenness’
ROXAS CITY – Cuartero Mayor Roger Flores said the mauling of Agnaga Brgy. Captain Joemer Sumagpao was due to drunkenness and misunderstanding among youth in their place and not because of medical mission conducted by Provincial Health Office (PHO) under Capiz Gov. Victor Tanco, Sr.
Flores made the clarification after reports came out that Sumagpao was mauled by four suspects after he refused Gov. Tanco’s group the use of the covered gym as venue of free medical and dental mission in their barangay.
Flores, who is a supporter of 2nd District Cong. Fredenil Castro, strongly denied that he instructed Sumagpao not to allow any group to use the covered gym as venue of the medical and dental mission adding that the said covered gym is open to the public.
“How can I disallow the group of Gov. Tanco from using the covered gym for I don’t know their activities as no one informed me about it,” Flores said.
But Tanco refuted that it’s a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the PHO to have a clearance from the town mayor and barangay captain before conducting a civic action.
Former Board Member Fritz Cruz Am, who happened to be an organizer of Tanco’s medical and dental mission, said that the governor want to give free medical services to his constituents. “If Gov. Tanco will not conduct the said civac, the mayor will say that Tanco neglected Cuartero,” Cruz Am said in a radio interview.
Last week, Sumagpao, on his way home, was mauled by four suspects reportedly for his refusal to let the group of Gov. Tanco to use the covered gym as venue of the medical and dental mission. Tanco’s civac was held at the barangay chapel.
Contrary to Flores’ statement, Sumagpao said in a radio interview that he was beaten by his constituents for his refusal to let the covered gym use as venue of the said activities.
Meanwhile, the four suspects are now facing appropriate charges for mauling Sumagpao.