By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Former Negros Occidental’s Cadiz City mayor and Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner Rowena Guanzon is threatening legal action against individuals who posted a now viral video on social media in an incident that happened last Sunday, January 29, during the city’s highlights of the Dinagsa Festival.

Guanzon said she is planning to file libel charges against social media user Cyn Thia, over the now viral post.

In the video, Guanzon can be seen confronting a man and poking him with her walking stick.

She is also seen shouting at a crowd, as well as those who took the video.

In a phone interview with Watchmen Daily Journal yesterday morning, Guanzon said prior to the incident, her niece was ganged up on by several individuals and sexually harassed her.

Guanzon and her group immediately went to rescue her niece.

Upon reaching a street nearby, she saw several individuals on a drinking binge.

She asked them to give way, but instead one of them started shouting and hit Guanzon in the shoulder, and stepped on her left leg.

The former Comelec official said the group was clearly inebriated at the time, and she was only using her walking cane for the man to keep distance and to protect herself.

Meanwhile, City Mayor Salvador Escalante, Jr. said the incident was “very untoward.”

Escalante said he instructed the city police to do what is necessary in the incident.

“I’ve heard there are already cases to be filed,” Escalante said.

The mayor said they will review Guanzon’s suggestion to ban alcoholic beverages on the sidewalk during the Dinagsa Festival.

He will leave her suggestion to the city council./DGB, WDJ