MANILA, 1 August 2003 — Controversial Fil-foreign player Andy Seigle has found himself in deep trouble yet again.

Police are investigating Seigle for his alleged involvement in a brawl triggered by a vehicular accident in Makati City at dawn. The prized slotman was accused of allegedly mauling a medical intern during a traffic spat.

Seigle — elder brother of San Miguel’s ace forward Danny Seigle — was accused of beating up a certain Allan Bangko, who was brought to the Makati Medical Center after sustaining bruises and contusions in different parts of the body.

Seigle is facing charges of physical injuries before the Criminal Investigation Division of the Makati City police. He was invited for questioning at the Makati police right after the incident.

According to initial police reports, the 6-foot-9 Seigle, who plays for Purefoods in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), was driving his custom-made jeepney when he figured in an accident with a car driven by Bangko along P. Burgos Street, Makati City between 3 and 4 a.m. leading to an altercation.

Both Seigle and Bangko filed charges against each other.

Initial investigation also showed the two cars were moving at high-speed when they figured in a near collision, the exact nature of which is still being determined by police.

SPO 2 Juancho Ibis, case investigator, said both the cager and Bangko refused to give way in an intersection and ended up brushing each other’s vehicle. Seigle was with businessman Dale Long, a resident of 1905 A.B. Wack-Wack Twin Tower, Mandaluyong City, while Bangko was in the company of a certain Cesar Peralta. The two sides gave police conflicting versions of the latest incident.

In his counter-charge, Seigle claimed Bangko opened his jeep and grabbed him by the arm after he brushed the rearview mirror of the latter’s car. Bangko also broke his jeep’s window by punching it three times, the cager said.

Long jumped out of the jeep to help the player, but Bangko attacked Long who was forced to defend himself. Seigle claimed he merely tried to pacify Long and didn’t respond when Bangko provoked him to fight. But Bangko’s lawyer said Seigle was seen by witnesses attacking Bangko during the brawl. It marked the second time in seven months that Seigle has figured in a brawl. Last December two bouncers in a Makati bar complained to police that they were mauled by Seigle’s group which they had tried to pacify for unruly behavior. Seigle, who claimed he only acted as a pacifier during the bar brawl, was eventually cleared. Interestingly, he was personally cleared by the owner of the Makati nightspot called Club V.

A six-year PBA veteran who also played for the Asiad team that took bronze in 1998, Seigle claimed he was not directly involved in the incident and merely acted as a pacifier during the scuffle.

Seigle said he was with his girlfriend, younger brother and some friends, and it was one of his friends that was directly involved in the fight.

Club V owner Philip Chua said that a fight really ensued in the establishment, but “Seigle was involved not as an aggressor but a pacifier.” The PBA Commissioner’s Office also received separate letters from Club V bar manager Richard Salaya and marketing and Public Relations manager Jodge Ledesma clearing Seigle of any wrongdoing.

Ledesma, meanwhile, reiterated what he had told an ABS-CBN early morning program that “Seigle never engaged himself in the fight with the club’s bouncers much less hurt anyone at all. If it wasn’t even for Andy pacifying and controlling his friends, the row would have gone on longer.”

The Club V management had fired bouncers Benilito Benitez and Miguel Honor for making tall tales probably in an effort to squeeze money from Seigle. Ealier reports said Benitez and Onor claimed they were mauled by Seigle and company after an argument over the group’s behavior that alarmed other customers.

Benitez and Honor had already submitted medical certificates to prove that they were mauled by Seigle’s group in an altercation at Club V, a bar located along Amorsolo St. in barangay San Lorenzo where the complainants work as bouncers.

Upon learning of the police report, Seigle immediately showed up at the Makati police station to shed light on the incident.

Seigle was also accused of punching a man after a traffic accident some years back and was in a group of Fil-foreign players that, according to reports, caused a commotion in a townhouse unit belonging to Eric Menk’s girlfriend. Seigle has reportedly maltreated a woman guest and got irked when the bouncers stepped in to intervene. The complainants, police said, claimed Seigle threw a punch during the scuffle.

Other newspaper reports said Seigle and his five companions arrived at the club shortly after 2 a.m. An hour later, Seigle and company reportedly began shouting and cursing, prompting the two bouncers to approach them and ask them to calm down so as not to alarm the other customers.

The basketball player allegedly pushed them away and told them to mind their own business.