In the previous month’s issue, we wrote an editorial about “The kind of Politicians who must rot in Jail.” It featured convicted Mayor of Calauan, Laguna Tony Sanchez and Mayor Nasser Pangandaman, Jr. of Masiu, Lanao del Sur. The latter figured in a mauling incident at Valley Golf Club in Antipolo, Philippines.
A court case was filed by the De la Paz family against the Pangandamans who in turn filed a counter suit against Delfin de la Paz and his 14-year old son Bino de la Paz.
Based on the blog published by 18-yr. old daughter Bambi de la Paz, public sympathy was in favour of Delfin and his son, whose face was bloodied by Nasser Jr. and his gun-wielding bodyguards. All that happened in the presence of Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman Sr. who did not lift a finger to stop the bloody incident.
We unearthed some background information about Nasser Jr. during his student days at Xavier University. It was written by a certain Shimvita from Iligan City. Below is her story:
My name is Shimvita from Iligan City. I work as a nurse here in Cagayan de Oro. During my college days in Xavier University during the early 90’s, I happen to have a classmate named Hussein Pangandaman, a Muslim who studied in this Jesuit school but wrecked havoc to all by poking guns at classmates, threatening teachers and would be the in the local news involving prostitutes, arms dealing and even allegations of drugs.
He has a brother named J.R Pangandaman, the Nasser Pangandaman Jr., the notorious name we all know by now.
They, together with their cousins, would roam the streets of Iligan and Cagayan De 0ro throwing their weight around. During PAL flights to Manila and back to Mindanao, they were known to threaten airport officials and cabin crew, even boasting that not even President Gloria Arroyo could stop them.
Hussein Pangandaman even had a girlfriend Irish Barria impregnated but immediately dumped her after she got pregnant.
The brothers were obviously being tolerated by their parents and even made JR the Mayor of this sleepy Muslim town of 5 thousand inhabitants composed of poor relatives by paying them 1 thousand pesos each to win. This is common knowledge here that JR Pangandaman being Mayor at age 26 would justify his lust for crime. They were known to beat up even women. A check with police archives of CDO and Iligan will reveal their crimes that went unpunished.