SORRY. Bacolod City Councilor Jesus Claudio Puentevella, in a press conference on Friday (September 14, 2018), issues an apology for punching colleague Councilor Dindo Ramos during the session of the City Council Wednesday afternoon. (Screen grab from Aksyon Radyo Bacolod)
BACOLOD CITY -- The Bacolod City councilor, who punched his colleague inside the session hall, issued an apology Friday saying the incident is “unfortunate” and “humbling lesson”.
“I would like to express my deepest apologies to our people and my colleagues at the City Council. What happened was unfortunate and I take full responsibility for my actions,” Jesus Claudio Puentevella said in a press statement distributed to the media.
Puentevella punched Councilor Dindo Ramos after a heated argument during the session of the Sangguniang Panlungsod on Wednesday afternoon.
He added that the incident is not something he is proud of.
In a press conference at their family residence, Puentevella said he was put in a position where Ramos embarrassed him.
“I was provoked and I had to defend myself. I had to defend my dignity. I had to defend my right,” he added.
During the session’s recess, Puentevella stood up, went up to Ramos, and punched him on the face as shown in various videos that went viral on social media.
Before the incident, Puentevella said he manifested without malice an inquiry about the item in the agenda regarding the PHP50-million project that will be awarded to garbage hauler IPM-Construction and Development Corporation for the construction of a second cell in the sanitary landfill at Barangay Felisa.
He said they were informed on a very short notice that the said item will be taken up, but he believed it is important for the councilors to be provided ample time to study the proposal.
“Apparently, some members of our council took my inquiry as an affront,” Puentevella said.
He added that “Ramos responded by flaunting his position as a lawyer and a certified public accountant and insinuated that the rest of us who are not lawyers and CPAs are lesser mortals because we, according to him, cannot adapt and enter into intellectual discussion given only short notice.”
“I am not proud of what happened but sometimes, someone has just to stand up,” Puentevella said. (PNA)
