Misamis Occidental town mayor arrested for alleged assault in Cebu

CEBU CITY, Philippines – David Navarro, mayor of Clarin, Misamis Occidental, was arrested in Cebu City on Thursday afternoon, October 24, for allegedly beating up a massage therapist here early morning.

He was on his way to leave Cebu City to Manila when he was arrested by Cebu police on assault charges.

The complainant, John Dueñas, told reporters that Navarro was upset that the massage parlor he worked at in the Fuente Osmeña area did not have a female therapist available. 



Witnesses say Navarro was allegedly drunk. CCTV footage showed Navarro grabbing Dueñas and punching him.

According to Dueñas, he had come to assist the cashier, whom Navarro was scolding.

“The cashier said to him (mayor), ‘I’m sorry, sir, we don’t have female therapists available,'” Dueñas told reporters in Cebuano.


“Then he said, ‘Where are your guys? I’ll pay them P500, P1,000, to fight me,'” he added.

The video showed the mayor’s security aides holding Dueñas while the man in the video – whom the police identified as Navarro – punched him multiple times.



When asked by media why he punched Dueñas, Navarro said in Cebuano, “He started it. He (Dueñas) insulted me.” 



The mayor did not elaborate on how he was insulted, but he did not deny it was him on the CCTV video. 



Navarro – who was in Cebu City for a seminar – is now detained in Cebu City and will be charged with inflicting serious physical injuries. – Ryan Macasero/Rappler.com