Brawl in motel

CEBU, Philippines - Medellin Mayor Ricardo Ramirez and former Capitol security chief Loy Madrigal figured in a confrontation yesterday morning at Gabrielle's Court motel in Bogo City with Madrigal eventually suing the mayor for attempted murder and the mayor claiming he was being harassed over political motives.

Ramirez later posted a photo of his face covered with bruises allegedly from the blows of Madrigal, while Madrigal would post photos of a bullet hole in his car door after Ramirez alleged shot at him.

“I was beaten up by the chief of a political warlord private army and the warlord happens to be the Liberal Party’s district boss here in Northern Cebu,” Ramirez’ post read.

However, Madrigal also claimed in his Facebook post it was Ramirez who started the brawl.

Ramirez

Ramirez refused to entertain interviews via phone, but posted his statement on Facebook instead. He narrated how the incident erupted when he met Madrigal in the parking lot of a “pension house” in the city where he sometimes spends the night if he is experiencing “severe stress”.

Ramirez said Madrigal shoved his phone towards his face as he walked outside the building. Ramirez told Madrigal to get his permission first before taking a photo of him, but Madrigal just suddenly punched him in the face five or six times.

“…I turned and bowed down with my one hand covering my face and the other on holding my bag. I did not resist as he continued to rain punches on my head and when he stopped I was so dazed that I couldn’t even comprehend why he was asking me why I punched him first and it’s only now that I learned that he took a video of me after he had finished punching me,” he said.

“He went to his SUV to get something inside and seeing my chance to escape jumped into my car and I made a dash for the gate. He tried to block me with his SUV but I managed to squeeze myself between the SUV and the edge of the steel gate however scraping the side of my car,” he added.

Ramirez explained that he did not fight back to avoid tempting Madrigal to pull out his gun.

After the incident, he immediately went to Medellin’s Rural Health Center and had his injuries checked.

“Sakit kaayo akong nawong labina sa dapit sa akong mata nga nagkadugo ug daw kakuyapon ko,” he said.

Madrigal

However, Madrigal has a different version of the incident, saying it was Ramirez who threw a punch first and he just fought back.

Based on Madrigal's sworn statement, he said yesterday at 7 a.m. while he was drinking coffee and using his cellular phone at the counter of the pension house, he saw Ramirez leave one of the rooms with a woman.

Madrigal said when Ramirez saw him, the mayor approached him and talked to him in an aggressive voice, prompting him to start recording with his phone.

When Ramirez asked him if he was recording he answered yes.

He said while he was trying to walk away from Ramirez, the mayor suddenly punched him in the left cheek. He dropped his phone and immediately punched Ramirez to defend himself.

Madrigal said he asked the mayor why he did that and decided to go to the police station to report the said incident. When he asked a room boy to open the gate he said he saw Ramirez at the left side pointing a gun at him, he reversed his car but hit a wall.

Madrigal said he heard the gunshot even as he tried to escape.

In a video Madrigal posted on Facebook, Madrigal is heard saying “Gisumbag ko nimo Ric. Ikaw (Ramirez) nag-una og sumbag nako. Ngano gi-sumbag man ko nimo nga wa man tika dapati?

In the same video, Ramirez argues with Madrigal and said “gisumbag nako ang imong cellphone.”

“Nakita niya nga nag-record ko, nisamot siya og kasuko. So ako sya giingnan nga ako ni katungod nga mag-record ko di man ni illegal sad, so mao to pagkahuman nidiritso sya og sukmag nako, naigo akong apapangig” Madrigal said.

Ramirez did not have the incident reported to police claiming they are "(Bogo City Mayor Celestino) Martinez's men."

"Unsaon nako pagpa-blotter nga needed man adto Bogo police station mag-blotter nga ako pa gani ila dakponon?" he said on FB.

"Ako pa ang gikulata nianang Loy Madrigal unya ako pay dakopon kuno sa police sa Bogo ug sa province mao nang ning biya usa ko sa Medellin kay makigkita ko sa akong mga abogado kay klaro kaayu ning politika abi kay dili ko Liberal unya DU30 ko," Ramirez added in his post.

“Harassment"

Ramirez claimed that it was purely political harassment to make Medellin “leaderless” in time for May 9 elections.

“Grabeha noh unsa diay ko terorista nga gipada man gyud ang SWAT team sa Bogo City unya lain pod nga SWAT team sa province aron ang tuyo nga dakopon ko unya tungod ugma Sabado unya Domingo dayun sa lunes eleksyun sa ato pa way abli mga opisina klaro kaayu ilang planu nga political harassment aron ma leaderless ang Medellin para karong eleksyuna,” he said.

Ramirez alleged that Madrigal is Martinez’ “best friend” and acts as the political family’s “chief goon” and will be sent to the hinterland barangays during election day to harass their political opponents.

Madrigal belied the said allegation saying he is not privy to any political activity in Northern Cebu, although he admitted that he is a friend of the Matinezes.

Madrigal claimed he was in Bogo for a documentary about illegal fishing activities in the province. He said he was with someone from the United Nations for the documentary but refused to identify the person.

Madrigal became controversial last year after a photo of him in a “sweet moment” with his female secretary at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport surfaced on social media.

It was Ramirez who uploaded the photos saying these were taken by his “undercover guys”. Madrigal later quit his job.

Madrigal already filed an attempted murder case against Ramirez before the Office of the Prosecutor in Bogo City, yesterday afternoon.

Madrigal added the incident has nothing to do with politics because Ramirez is not running for any position in Bogo City.

“There’s no reason here for politics. Number one: Ricky is not running for any seats here in Bogo. Number two: I’m not running for an office, so iyaha lang ng gigamit karon ni Ricky kining parte sa politics, you know what Ricky is a piece of (expletive), he’s a piece of trash, I don’t know ngano pa man daghan OA ang mo-tolerate ana niya,” Madrigal said.

Superintendent Richard Oliver, chief of the Bogo City Police Station, said since the charges had been filed their hot pursuit operation against Madrigal was already called off. — with Mylen P. Manto and Decemay P. Padilla (FREEMAN)