In the past week, we’ve heard a lot about the UDP’s Toledo West Representative Juan Coy – but we haven’t heard anything from him. That’s because no one we spoke to in government had a working contact number for him. But we caught him today leaving the House Meeting. The subject of course was the direct accusation by prominent Toledo Citizen and Husband of UDP Senator Bartolo Teul who said Coy had him thrown out of a meeting just because he spoke his mind and challenged the minister’s slate for Big Falls Village. Teul was charged for assaulting one of the police officers who threw him out. Today Coy gave us his account. He told us that’s not quite how it went.
Hon. Juan Coy, Toledo West Area Rep.
“The meeting was all peaceful until the question and answer segment came up and at that session Mr. Teul was a bit unhappy because he himself had been putting up a slate and up to this time he has not had a slate in place and the alcalde asked him to ask his question and be short but he refused and was very disrespectful and further he was under the influence of alcohol at that meeting and as a result of that the police moved in and asked him to give back the microphone and he refused and continued this assault on the police and as a result of that he was arrested.”
Jules Vasquez,
“Was it you who ordered the officers to eject him from the meeting?”
Hon. Juan Coy,
“No I did not order the officers and further more I did not even invite the police officers at that meeting, it was the slate themselves that did so. I believe on my part I didn’t see anything wrong that I have done. I think that any law abiding citizen must conduct themselves appropriate manner, especially at meetings. I don’t think we should be attending meetings under the influence of alcohol because then we don’t have self control and then we can’t conduct ourselves.”
Jules Vasquez,
“But you’re saying he was being abusive during his presentation, did he use curse words, did he speak about you personally, did he seek to personally insult anyone, make slanderous allegations against anyone?”
Hon. Juan Coy,
“Well that is what is evident and just yesterday I was there…”
Jules Vasquez,
“You’re saying he did do that?”
Hon. Juan Coy,
“He did do that and just yesterday he was throwing stones and things and these.”
Jules Vasquez,
“You mean physically throwing stones or verbally?”
Hon. Juan Coy,
“I mean verbally. I was there and he seemed to be that sort that always wants to pick something on anything that does not exist.
I wish to say also that at no point was he my campaign personnel out there or anything.”
Jules Vasquez,
“But he campaigned in your name?”
Hon. Juan Coy,
“No, not that I know of.”
Question,
“Do you expect an apology?”
Hon. Juan Coy,
“Not really, being a politician is that you expect that you cannot walk in every…if we could reflect to the days when Jesus was in his community also that was part of what he had to bear.”
Jules Vasquez,
“Have you received a reprimand of any type from the Prime Minister for at least the embarrassment that has been caused to the party?”
Hon. Juan Coy,
“Well no, I don’t see that to that extent because I believe there are two sides to the story because when I read the Amandala I didn’t see anything in it that he was under the influence of alcohol. So many times there are situations like these when the other side does not get a chance to verse his view as to actually what happened because I think for any person or any media house to draw a conclusion just listening to one side is a bit I think immature.”
Jules Vasquez,
“But you’re unreachable, I tried many times last week.”
Hon. Juan Coy,
“I am sorry, I did not get calls. To be honest I didn’t get any calls from any media house and I would be more than happy to give them my view as to what actually took place.”
Jules Vasquez,
“How did you know he was drinking, had you seen him drinking or did he behave in what you consider was an inebriated manner?”
Hon. Juan Coy,
“When I passed close to him there was this high aroma of alcohol and also another villager who said publicly to him that you are under the influence of alcohol.”
