CABANATUAN CITY – A wedding reception turned into a bitter ground between the incumbent mayor and a candidate for councilor in Barangay Cawayang Bugtong, Guimba, Nueva Ecija on Sunday.
Senior Supt. Crizaldo Nieves, Nueva Ecija police director, said that Mayor Jose Francis Stevens Dizon of Bagong Lakas ng Nueva Ecija (Balane) and Dr. Felix Diosdado Lumang who is running for municipal councilor under the Liberal Party (LP) both reported their accounts of the incident that transpired between them at the wedding reception at the residence of village councilor Catalino Gallardo.
Police records showed that Dizon reported at around 3:11 p.m. Sunday that he and Lumang had a heated argument after one of his companions supposedly overheard Lumang saying “sasampalin ng pera ang mayor na iyan,” at about 2:30 that afternoon.
While on his way, police reported, one of Dizon’s companions informed him about the alleged remarks by Lumang, prompting him to confront the latter.
“At that juncture, he (Dizon) returned and confronted the latter which led to a heated argument between them but were pacified by barangay kagawad Dante Magno and others,” police reported, quoting Dizon’s accounts.
But Lumang’s wife, Dra. Rebecca Lumang, reported to the police at about 7:14 p.m, also on Sunday, that the mayor allegedly “slapped her husband” who “luckily evaded it” after allegedly saying “namumuro ka na sa akin.”
Lumang alleged that one of Dizon’s companions, identified as Allan Pascual, punched her husband on the right ear causing him to fall on the ground. An unidentified man allegedly followed it up with a kick.
He did not fight back, Lumang said.
Dizon was godfather to the wedding of Gallardo’s daughter while Lumang was invited by a village councilor.
Nieves said police are conducting follow up investigations to ascertain the facts surrounding the incidents.
“We are informed that both parties are filing charges against each other, charges and counter charges,” Nieves said.
It was not clear yet if the incident falls in the election-related violence category.
