By Modesto P. Sa-onoy
On his way home, Complainant Gallo said that he “noticed one of the boom trucks owned by VTI, with several personalities (on it) identified with the rival group of LRY (Leo Rey Yanson), appeared to be headed by respondent De Ocampo, were seemingly preparing for something.”
Sensing that something is not right, Gallo “then decided to go back to the Main Office and to report what he had seen and observed. Gallo proceeded to relay the matter to fellow Complainant Ebugan, who invited him to go to the highway and observe. Gallo and Ebugan stayed at the shade house and they were able to see the white Ford Raptor Ranger owned by respondent Vistal going back and forth for not less than 4 times in a span of about 10 minutes.
“They (Gallo and Ebugan) then decided to go back to the Main Office. Upon reaching the main gate, they saw EVY went out of the service entrance and informed the employees, who have chosen to stay behind that there are rumors that the rival group of LRY will be attempting to forcibly takeover the Main Office. She then pleaded to the employees to show their support to the Y4 by staying behind and help defend the Main Office from being forcibly and unlawfully taken over by the rival group.
“EVY then went back to the main gate. Just as she was about to enter the service gate, somebody shouted, “ARA NA SILA, ARA NA SILA” (THEY ARE COMING, THEY ARE COMING).”
It seems that the employees also had an inkling of what the group allied to LRY intended to do. Their repeated shouts that “they are coming!” were clearly made to raise alarm of possible physical harm and for them to be prepared.
The Complaint continued to say that they “then saw a boom truck owned by VTI moving towards the main gate and made a temporary halt adjacent to the eatery, while its engine was continuing to increase its acceleration, signifying that the driver was preparing to make a major push.”
It looks like an attack with the force of the boom truck, a rather large and powerful machine that could crush anything along its path.
While the boom truck halted the driver continued to “make a strong acceleration.” Ebugan “saw respondents Randy Jineza (Jineza) and Sylvestre Labayen (Takyo) jump off from the back of the boom truck.”
More importantly, they said that from the place where the boom truck made its temporary stop, Complainants were just a few meters (5-6 meters) away and were therefore clearly visible to the driver of the boom truck.
The Complaint said “that EVY, the other Complainants and several other workers were all clearly visible to the driver, who would later be identified as respondent Manuel Mancia.”
“Driver Mancia then made a sudden and very strong push forward towards Complainants and several other employees, almost hitting them, were it not for the timely intervention of the other Complainants and several employees, who pounded on the windshield of the truck, while others grabbed the driver from the side of the truck, and the other Complainants step forward to shield Complainant EVY.”
The complaints were one in claiming that “EVY was only inches away from the boom truck, while the bumper of the truck was already touching the tummy of Complainant Langote and Torcelero, and Ebugan and Gallo were less than an arm’s length away.”
At the distance of the boom truck and the number of people around EVY, it was not possible that Mancia could not have seen EVY and the people around her.
“Worthy of note,” the Complaint said, “is the fact that Complainants Ebugan, Gallo, Langote and Torcelero, together with several other VTI employees made a deliberate and conscious effort to protect and shield EVY from being hit by the boom truck, even at the risk of their own lives and safety.”
“In fact, Torcelero and Langote tried to push away EVY from the charging boom truck but EVY then countered by saying ‘BAY E NYO KO KAY WALA KO YA NAHADLOK MAPATAY” (Leave me alone because I am not afraid to die!”)
Continued tomorrow.
