Former Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Commissioner Atty. Rowena Guanzon has finally addressed the viral video showing her in a heated confrontation with a couple inside a Makati mall. According to Guanzon, the dispute escalated after the man allegedly told her to leave the premises simply because she coughed. The incident, which became a social media sensation, captured Guanzon raising her voice and hurling insults at the couple.
In an official statement detailing her side of the story, Guanzon vehemently defended her reaction, focusing on the alleged demand that she vacate the mall. She quoted her retort during the exchange, saying, “Siya nga ang hindi taga-Makati, ako pa papalayasin niya. I told him if you are sick or afraid to get sick, you should not be in a mall. You have no right to tell me to leave.”
Guanzon stressed that she perceived the man’s action as an arrogant display of authority and an act of social condescension. She added, “Kung maka-utos parang amo ko siya. Matapobreng hindi naman mayaman.”
Following the incident, Guanzon immediately went to the Makati police station to file a complaint against the couple. She recounted that while the man’s wife apologized for the incident, the man himself refused to offer any form of apology. The situation took a dramatic turn during the police proceedings.
Guanzon claims that as the police investigator began reading them their Miranda Rights, the man and his lawyer fled the scene. She stated, “Nang babasahan na sila ng Miranda Rights ng police investigator, tumakas! Tinakas ng lawyer nila.”
As of this writing, there has been no official statement released by the couple involved in the confrontation to offer their perspective or counter Guanzon’s claims. The incident remains a hot topic online, with many waiting for further developments or formal charges to be filed. The legal implications of the confrontation, especially following the alleged escape from the police station, are still unfolding.