• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Murcia Vice Mayor Johnny Reosura has denied the accusation that he slapped a minor boy during a meeting to supposedly settle a conflict between the complainant and also his minor nephew on Nov. 2.
His denial came after the 15-year-old complainant, a resident of Barangay Vista Alegre, Bacolod City, talked to Capitol reporters with the assistance of Third District Board Member Andrew Montelibano, who is a former mayor of Murcia.
The boy said they were summoned to the house of the local government official, where he thought the conflict would be settled.
He shared that the vice mayor’s nephew, also 15, bullied his group regularly and even challenged them to a fist fight.
The fight between them and the nephew of Reosura took place on Nov. 2 outside the Montelibano family-owned Bacolod Golf and Country Club in Hacienda Binitin, Barangay Blumentritt, he added.
A police blotter report filed at the Murcia police indicated that Reosura confronted the complainant about the brass knuckles that he supposedly used to punch his nephew.
When he turned over the brass knuckles to Reosura after being threatened to be handcuffed, the complainant said the vice mayor slapped him on his left face and also pressed his face.
Reosura said the incident has already been settled.
He claimed that a local politician is using the incident to cause an issue against him, but added that he is willing to face the charges to be filed against him.
“I am willing to face the accusations they will file,” he said.
Reosura said that the complainant and his group were using weapons.
If his nephew was wrong, he will not tolerate his behavior, he added.
Montelibano told Capitol reporters that the family of the complainant approached him for help.
He said the uncle and aunts of the boy work at the golf course as caddies and umbrella girls.
Montelibano added that he will assist the boy until they can file a case, noting that there were witnesses during the incident.
“For me this is an act of bullying, an act of abuse of authority, as a vice mayor,” he said.
“This is not about politics. It’s about helping those being bullied especially by those in power,” Montelibano said. | GB
