Mabatid admits being the person in hotel CCTV video

Mabolo Barangay Captain Niña Mabatid ((right) gives her side of the controversial hotel incident together with her daughter Iah and mother Salud.

‘I WAS PROVOKED’

MABOLO Barangay Captain Niña Mabatid admitted yesterday being the one in the hotel CCTV video which showed two guests in an altercation with hotel personnel accompanied by some physical violence.

The village chief, together with a companion identified as Ramon Floresta, is accused of physically assaulting a security officer and staff of a five-star hotel in uptown Cebu City last June. The altercation was caught on the security footage of the hotel’s CCTV camera.

The video drew nearly a million views, over 3,000 reactions and shared more than 500 times on Facebook.

Mabatid explained that she was “provoked” by the hotel staff for mistaking her as an escort shortly before the incident happened.

“I am not a whore. Nasuko ko hangtod karun. Nobody really asked me what happened. I’m being judged. Gipagawas na ang video without getting my side,” said Mabatid.

But when reporters asked her to comment on the matter last Monday, she neither confirmed nor denied the alleged incident, saying she would issue a statement to respond the allegations “point by point.”

ABC presidency

But despite being in the middle of a controversy, Mabatid is still considering running for the presidency of the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) – Cebu City.

And that an endorsement from the Office of the President, she said, served as her basis for doing so.

But Mabatid clarified that she still has to consider “a lot of things” and “will decide further.”

“Who am I to refuse the Office of the President nga mudagan? But I have not decided yet. I want to know if I have the numbers. Lahi ang dagan sa politika,” said Mabatid.

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña has kicked her out of Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan.

“She’s very unbecoming of a public official. That’s the worst example of somebody misbehaving. She’s flaunting her power. That’s not acceptable. I don’t care how much help you gave to me,” said Osmeña.

Osmeña is supporting Kasambagan Barangay Captain Franklyn Ong for ABC president. The BOPK head earlier criticized Mabatid for announcing her intent to run for the position, dangling her claim of President Rodrigo Duterte’s endorsement.

“It’s only Franklyn Ong and if you’re not with Ong, then you’re not from BOPK,” the mayor earlier stated.

Complaint

Mabatid said she is yet to receive a copy of the complaint filed against her before the Office of the Ombudsman last June by hotel employees Irene Lacerna, Welbert Bagundol Pepito and Edwin Acuyan.

The complainants accused her of grave misconduct, conduct unbecoming of a public officer, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service in relation to the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

At a press conference, Mabatid, who was accompanied by her legal counsel, lawyer Dilon Orot, also announced that she is open for a reconciliation with the hotel management.

“But not with the guard who accused me of being an escort. I hope this issue will die down,” Mabatid said.

Aside from reconciliation with the hotel management, Orot said they are going to pursue legal action, but had no intention of pressing charges against the person or people responsible for posting the CCTV footage without his client’s permission.

“We will still determine as particularly what legal actions we will pursue,” said Orot.