Tito Lopez (middle) with Senate President Manny Villar (left) and former president Joseph Estrada
This was sent from the Live from Iloilo blog-
A SCION of the Lopez clan threatened to kill the editor of The Daily Guardian while inside a popular bar at Smallville complex in Mandurriao, Iloilo City.
For no apparent reason, Tito Lopez, son of former congressman Albertito Lopez and former governor Emily Relucio-Lopez, threatened TDG executive editor Francis Allan L. Angelo Friday evening inside Flow Resto-Bar.
Angelo said the incident happened between 11:20-11:30pm Friday when he and lawyer Jojo Lutero of the Iloilo Provincial Legal Office went to Flow to meet two friends.
Lopez was standing by a table adjacent to the table where Angelo, Lutero and his friends were having a drink.
Minutes later, Angelo was surprised when he heard somebody whisper “Huwag kang titingin-tingin, hindi kita kilala. Papatayin kita (Don’t stare at me, I don’t know you. I will kill you).”
The TDG editor said he did not mind Lopez’s statement and went on to consume his drink and send text messages to his friends and girlfriend.
But Lopez kept on making the same threats until he moved towards Lutero and spewed the same warning.
Lopez, upon seeing Angelo fiddling his cellphone, then moved back to the latter and told him “Sinung tine-text-text mo dyan? Hindi ka maliligtas nyan. I dare you to go out.” Lopez followed his threats with a slap on the left portion of Angelo’s waist.
Former boxing champion William Magahin, who works as a bouncer in Flow, interceded between Lopez, Angelo and Lutero.
Lopez’s bodyguards later entered the bar and apologized for their employer’s behavior.
Angelo, Lutero and their two companions later went out of the bar to avoid more confrontation. Lopez and his bodyguards also went out some five minutes later.
The female acquaintance of Lutero later told Angelo that Lopez has been trying to meet them before the newspaper editor and the lawyer arrived at Flow.
Angelo is considering possible legal actions against Lopez.
