‘Narco family’

“A drug is not bad. A drug is a chemical compound. The problem comes in when people who take drugs treat them like a license to behave like an asshole.” 

― Frank Zappa

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

RUNNERS of illegal drugs aren’t only the so-called “narco (narcotics) kids” or children doing the errands for drug syndicates.

The list is universal: “Narco mothers and fathers” or “narco parents (including grandmas and grandpas, believe it or not)”, “narcos barangay tanods (and even village chiefs and council members, and this is a common knowledge)”, “narco reporters”, “narco storekeepers”, “narco trisikad drivers”, “narco GROs (guest relations officers working in night clubs)”, “narco masseurs”, “narco waiters and waitresses”, “narco taxi, jeepney, bus drivers”, “narcos barkers (in jeep and bus stations)”,  “narco bouncers”, “narco city hall workers”, and, of course, “narco cops”, etcetera.

Those who would bewail or question our star-studded cast were probably born only yesterday. 

In fact, we can occupy more spaces here if we continue to list all the narcotics “workers”, which would actually fit for a major sector in the benighted country’s labor force. 

And they don’t exist only in Iloilo City or Western Visayas, but nationwide—including in Davao City, where “Digong The Ripper” was and is still king.

Shameful, alarming, disgusting, embarrassing, but this is the whole awful truth and nothing but the truth. So help us God.

 

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Illegal drug trade has been one of the “easiest” and “most lucrative” in the Philippines given the country’s appalling economic state, and the lack of direction and supervision in the national leadership that employs draconian punitive measures.

As long as unemployment remains as a lingering problem, some of those with empty stomachs will always resort to illegal activities and other cut throat alternatives to eke out a living.  

Once a upon a time, the Philippines was even feared to have sagged to a “narco state” when drug lords and queens weren’t ashamed to parade their faces even on national TV masquerading as philanthropists, natural disaster and sports donors, showbiz enthusiasts, and even Bible-toting cretins; the years when they were powerful and untouchable and could elect mayors, governors, congressmen, senators and even vice presidents and presidents?

The Philippine National Police (PNP) can murder some of the most dreaded and famous drug lords and earn some pogi points from a berdugo leadership, but they can’t totally eradicate the illegal drug trade in the Philippines.

It’s no longer the “game of the generals”, it’s already the “game of the politicians and generals” combined.

   

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WHAT would one retiring “legendary” politician feel if he wanted to make a legacy for his local constituents by helping launch a huge infrastructure project, only to find out that sharks and crocodiles have “attacked” from the deep sea and the swamps to feast on this important project?

He might suffer from cardiac arrest if he elects to keep quite and pretends he doesn’t know anything about the “shark and crocodile food festival.” 

Unless is he a shark or a crocodile himself, he will angrily make a drastic move by calling for the authorities to investigate how the sharks and crocodiles were able to gain instant and direct access to the bacchanalia.

Once an investigation has been launched and set up, he might use whatever remaining authority and connection he possesses to “punish” the predators and indicate to all and sundry he wants the project finished lock, stock, and barrel whoever gets jailed, or brought back to where they belong.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)

 

 

Just leave her alone

“Show me a good loser and I will show you a loser.”

— Paul Newman

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

GREEN-EYED monsters in the world of beauty pageant will stop at nothing to destroy R’Bonney Gabriel, the first Filipina American Miss USA 2022 and Miss Universe 2023.

After maligning Gabriel during the Miss USA in October 2022 where they falsely accused her of cheating, they are now repeating the malicious, scandalous, shameful and unproven allegations that she cheated in the recent Miss Universe pageant in New Orleans.

Can a lightening strike twice for a very talented lass in only four months?

They wouldn’t stop slandering her. Now Gabriel’s Miss Universe conquest has been stained with unfounded allegations of cheating due to the fact that the trans owner of Miss Universe also owns the Miss USA organization. Shallow and absurd.

Why can’t these sore losers leave her alone? Why don’t they give her a space and let her enjoy the fruits of her labor? Is so much envy and terrible jealousy eating up their hearts and liver day by day? 

Their bitterness toward Gabriel is mind-boggling; it’s unprecedented. It seems they can not accept that a not-so-flashy beauty icon, with Filipino blood running her veins, can wipe out all the major beauty crowns the world could offer like the Miss USA and Miss Universe. 

The 28-year-old Filipina American beauty more than deserves the double pageant crowns, and she is obviously a lot better, notches higher in merits, substance and talent over her bitter rivals in the Miss USA 2022 and the Miss Universe 2023 pageants. 

There were 84 beautiful women from all over the world who came to New Orleans on January 14 night to compete for the coveted crown of Miss Universe. 

The final three contestants were Miss Venezuela Amanda Dudamel, Miss Dominican Republic Andreina Martinez, and Miss USA R'Bonney Gabriel. 

In the end, R'Bonney won the title and crown, and she became the first Filipino-American to be named Miss Universe. In her personality interview, she spoke about the work she does with her fashion brand and helping teach women how to sew. However, as beautiful and charming as R'Bonney is, there are many accusations of her win being rigged which actually sounded like a broken record.

First, several contestants have accused the Miss USA organization of favoritism and rigging the pageant days after then Miss Texas USA Gabriel won the Miss USA 2022 crown in October.

 

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It can be recalled that several of the childish contestants had walked off stage as Gabriel was crowned Miss USA 2022 in October instead of congratulating her during the “live” broadcast.

Not contented, some of these ill-mannered contestants have aired their grievances on social media in the days after the pageant.

Like a cry baby, Miss District of Columbia Faith Porter told ABC News: “I think the most important thing is that all the contestants feel like they have a fair shot at the crown and that starts with more transparency in judging.” 

Claiming Gabriel “had an unfair advantage”, sore loser Miss Montana USA Heather O’Keefe published several videos on TikTok and Instagram. Without showing any evidence, the bad loser added that the sponsors showed a preference for Gabriel.

O’Keefe, who probably was uneducated, boomed in her TikTok video: “Most of the Miss USA contestants feel very strongly that there was favoritism towards Miss Texas USA and we have the receipts to prove it.”

Director of talent and media relations Nancy Shuster had belied all their dirty and malicious allegations saying “the current allegations made by the 2022 Miss USA class of 2022 are misleading and simply not factual.” Shuster said the misunderstanding is the fact that Mia Beaute is a sponsor of the State Miss Texas USA Pageant and a sponsor of the National Miss USA Pageant. Mia Beaute has also recently opened a location at Nizuc Resort and Spa, which is also a sponsor of the national Miss USA Pageant.

Shuster had clarified that Gabriel did multiple sponsor visits, one with Mia Beaute, at which time they proposed that she finally visit Nizuc Spa. Gabriel paid for her own flight, Shuster added.

In a statement, Shuster had explained: “Just as other contestants have been engaged by other sponsors before competing and or winning at the National level, Mia Beauté wanted to use R’Bonney’s diversity and representation as the first Filipina American to win Miss Texas USA.”

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The humble and amiable Fil-Am beauty Gabriel had called the allegations as “not true” and that “I won the title on my own merit.”

“The current allegations are based on perception, and not the truth. I would never want to enter a competition that was rigged. I know all of the contestants worked really hard to prepare, and I don’t want these allegations to overshadow the accomplishments of all the women who participated in this year’s Miss USA competition," she said. 

"I know how hard every woman worked and I want their efforts to also be acknowledged. At this time, I am excited to move forward with training for Miss Universe and all of the opportunities that the Miss USA Organization will provide, while expanding on my personal platform for sustainable fashion and advocating for charity partners Best Buddies and Smile Train.”

Crystle Stewart, president of the Miss USA Organization, said the favoritism and rigging claims were untrue.

“When I won Miss Texas USA, Miss USA and more recently, became President of the Miss USA Organization, many women of color were inspired and filled with hope. I would not do not anything, such as a ‘rig a competition’ that I fought so hard for to win, and jeopardize that hope,” Stewart said in a statement. 

“Myself, my staff, and pageant partners take this very seriously and are cooperating with the Miss Universe Organization as they investigate the allegations. In addition to the Miss Universe investigation, we are conducting an internal review to assess our staff and other personnel to ensure that there was fairness, non-discrimination, and no favoritism amongst the contestants. In every attempt, I want to ensure there is an equal playing field for every contestant from uniformity in wardrobe, sponsored headshots, mental health workshops, and complimentary training. All to protect, educate, and empower our contestants.”

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)

 

Clean sweep

“Some people don't like change, but you need to embrace change if the alternative is disaster.”

— Elon Musk

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

FROM top to bottom, it’s a total sweep.

If the basis for the relief of all cops in the Iloilo City Police Station 5 (ICPS5) in Mandurriao and the Iloilo City Police Office-City Drug Enforcement Unit (ICPO-CDEU) was the arrest of 32 drug personalities in Brgy. Bakhaw, Mandurriao on January 25, the decision of Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) director, Brigadier General Leo Francisco, was commendable.

According to a report by Daily Guardian’s Jennifer P. Rendon, “Francisco did not mince words that he was not satisfied with their performance.”

In other words, B/General Francisco wasn’t happy with the news about the raid and arrest of the 32; ergo, he wanted to cut and cut clean. 

The PRO-6 chief was referring to the ICPS5 led by Major Rey Sumagaysay with 91 personnel and CDEU led by Inspector Marlon Perez with around 15 personnel, according to Rendon’s report.

Also, Iloilo City Police Office chief, Colonel Leo Batiles, due to retire on March 2023, according to reports, has been been replaced by Colonel Joeresthy Coronica.

If they think they didn’t live up to the expectations of B/General Franciso, the relieved PNP officers will never complain; they can’t harbor any hard feelings to the region’s top police boss. 

Even if they “loved” their old assignments, they are professionals who would obey orders rather than resent them.

For this, B/General Francisco will definitely go down in history as one of the most decisive, no-nonsense and very professional regional directors in Western Visayas.  

 

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But, wait a minute. Even if all those PNP officers have been relieved, there is still no assurance that cases of illegal drugs will end or at least decline in the metropolis.

The newly installed ICPO-CDEU and ICPS5, as well as the ICPS2,3,4 in Jaro, La Paz, Arevalo, Molo, will have to brace themselves for a possible revamp if more drug personalities will fall in the next few months while B/General Francisco is still the PRO-6 boss.

Let’s face it. Since the brutal deaths of Iloilo’s suspected top drug lord, Melvin “Dragon” Odicta in 2016, and Brgy. Bakhaw’s Robinhood, Richard “Buang” Prevendido in 2017, illegal drugs trade didn’t actually disappear in Iloilo City.

It’s impossible for Dragon’s illegal drugs empire to collapse completely after he and his wife, Merriam, were killed by suspected police mercenaries in Caticlan, Aklan while returning from an abrupt trip in Manila where they supposedly “revealed” their police and political protectors to then DILG Secretary Ismael Sueno.

It’s unbelievable that Buang’s illegal drugs “consortiums” in Brgy. Bakhaw would be rapidly shattered after he was gunned down in a safe house in Iloilo City on September 1, 2017.

The recent arrest of the 32 in Brgy. Bakkaw where closed to P1-million worth of shabu (metamphetamine hydrochloride) have been seized will illustrate how the tentacles of illegal drugs have escalated with a vengeance. 

As long as the business of illegal drugs has not been totally eradicated, there is a danger that more sweeping police revamps would unfold in the future if more drug personalities fell in future police operations and the “clean sweep” policy was upheld even if B/General Francisco has been transferred to other assignments or has retired.

 

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WE have been waiting for former Senator Franklin Drilon to at least “get mad” now that his pet project (he is a legislator but he was instrumental in its funding), the P680-million Iloilo flyover in Ungka, Iloilo, will soon be subjected to a formal House investigation after an official resolution has been filed in congress by Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raoul Manuel, GABRIELA Partylist Rep. Arlene Brosas, and ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro.

Drilon has all the reason to get mad because the project was supposed to be his legacy now that he has “retired” from politics. 

So many ugly speculations, accusations, suspicions, and realities backed by factual evidence have surfaced to support and confirm fears that so many people made money out of that doomed project.

This alone will give Drilon enough reason to blow his top—just in case he is innocent.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed) 

  

 

 

‘Happiest’ person in Iloilo flyover House inquiry

 “The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection.”

— Thomas Paine

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

THE “happiest” person on earth if ever there would be a congressional investigation in relation to the “sinking and stinking” P680-million Iloilo flyover project in Ungka, Pavia was no other than the contractor himself.

You may ask, “are you kidding?” The contractor should be the first to shake in his boots if there’s a no nonsense scrutiny of any dubious infrastructure project like the one undertaken by the House of Representatives in aid of legislation. 

It will result in scurrilous unraveling of a can of worms—if the contractor happens to be embezzler. 

But if the contractor is straight shooter, of course, he has nothing to hide and fear. Sun Tzu said, “If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles.”

Let us assume for the sake of the title of this article that the Ungka flyover contractor is forthright, qualified, and competent—but not necessarily Mr. Clean (for no one walks a saint in this type of business); yet, the project worth hundreds of millions of pesos awarded to him by government still ends up in tatters—like what is happening, or being manifested by the awkward and loudly booed flyover.

 

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Is the project “underfunded”? Ergo, substandard?

If the original amount of funds intended for the contract was properly disbursed, why in heaven’s name, is the particular public works project about to crumple like a sack of onions in the Customs storage?

This is where the contractor is expected to be “ebullient” at least since this will give him adequate opportunity to name the pack of wolves—the 10, 15, and 20 percenters; the avaricious SOP (standard operating procedure) emissaries in government who ruin and sabotage the project by their sheer greed and lack of moral compass.

Who knows if they have long been the contractor’s albatrosses even in the smaller projects both past and present?

At the back of his mind, the contractor may sigh, “at long last, you will all be unmasked now.” 

At long last, they—including the contractor—will be unmasked now?

 

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But the investigation will finally give the contractor the perfect leverage to expose and explain how the crooks in government operate and make his business a veritable milking cow.  

In a formal House inquiry, nothing can escape the mighty committee members’ avalanche of grilling and inquisition. It will be a bloody mess.

But the caveat is once these corrupt officials are named in the House inquiry there is still no guarantee they will go to jail. 

Either they will not answer the allegations or deny them flatly. Easy.

If the contractor is straight and admits to the sin of tolerating and pampering the crooks in government, this makes him a party to bribery and corruption, and he may not escape the ax of justice.

After all, it’s still the taxpayers’ money that is basically involved in the entire hullabaloo.  

It seems there’s really some glimmer of hope, a light at the end of the tunnel after it was reported that Ilonggo Representatives Raoul Manuel (Kabataan Party-List), Arlene Brosas (GABRIELA Party-List), and France Castro (ACT Teachers Party-List) filed a resolution calling for a congressional probe on the Ungka and Aganan flyovers in the city and province of Iloilo.

Nothing concrete has commenced yet, but if not for these vigilant and brave lawmakers, the call for justice by the Ilonggos will just end up as another desperate voice in the wilderness.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)

 

Have mercy on us

“This hour we are stretching forth our hands with the desire to teach the world the true principles of mercy and justice.”

— Marcus Garvey

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

NO one is mad that a nearly P1-billion worth of public works project in Iloilo might go down the drain; or, there is an indication it will altogether lose its luster and usefulness owing to its forlorn state no matter how the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) deodorizes the project’s chances of getting a second wind or gaining fruition.

Or we are already tired of getting mad? 

Or we have surrendered the reigns of the Philippines to Gumby and Pokey, Rocky and Bullwinkle, Phineas and Ferb, Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble? 

When I started writing a newspaper column, it was post EDSA Revolution years; and the most common battlecry and admonishment persistently munched by those wanting to reform the society and who assumed adversarial journalistic stance was, “the rich in our society are getting richer, while the poor are getting poorer.” Bedazzling and sensational!

“Something must be done!” we thundered and goaded the readers.

Some of the shameless Cojuangcos were believed to have taken advantage of Tita Cory’s ascension to presidency via “People Power”, thus “the rich are getting richer, while the poor are getting poorer” cliché had become a vogue, the national anthem of both the “reformists” and “alarmists”, especially the chroniclers of the country’s socioeconomic and political climate.

 

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After 35 years, the over-used cliché remains relevant and continues to reverberate in newspaper columns, blogs, podcasts, debates and conversations.

Op-ed sections are still littered with the debris of this annoying and irritating platitude.  

Since Mrs. Cory Aquino, there have been five presidents: FVR, Erap, Gloria, Noynoy or P-noy, Digong. Nothing has changed. These presidents weren’t the solution to the people’s misery. 

In fact, they proved to be part and parcel of the problem, the macrocosm of what ails the nation, if not the bearers of bad omen and tribulations for the Filipino people. 

To our big consternation, it’s no longer “the rich are getting richer, while the poor are getting poorer.” It has “leveled up.”

It’s now “the rich are getting richer and powerful, the poor are getting poorer and weak.” 

From bad to worse. That’s how appalling we have sunk over these years since we regained democracy in 1986.

 

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Rich and powerful means thieves enriching themselves at the expense of ordinary taxpayers and getting away with murder, while occupying high positions in civil and military establishments and becoming above the law.  

Poorer and weak means Filipinos at the mercy of these harpooned barracudas. 

For lack of faith in our capacity to resist a tyrannical rule, we allow and tolerate abuses and putrid behaviors of some public leaders; and it seems no amount of education and enlightenment—including empowerment—can goad us to loudly and collectively say NO to the bands of sycophants and bloodsuckers we have entrusted with public funds.

Graft and corruption, incompetence, ineptitude, ignorance, negligence, parasitism, avarice have prevented the Philippines from inching closer to our neighboring ASEAN nations that have breached the NIChood (Newly Industrialized Country) threshold.

The Filipinos are no longer angry at the massive looting and pillage in the people’s treasury. They keep on glorifying and electing into important government positions the circus players, flame throwers, third-rate movie stuntmen, and spin masters. They don’t complain. 

Have mercy on us. 

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)

 

 

 

 

How taxpayers’ money is wasted and stolen

 “My slogan when I ran was that there is no such thing as government money, there is only taxpayer's money, and that cut pretty deep.”

— William Weld

By Alex P. Vidal

 

ASIDE from essentially stealing it, another way of wasting the taxpayers’ money is through incompetence and negligence by our government officials.

Graft and corruption per se isn’t the only evil that impoverishes the nation fast, delays progress and development, and denies the needy the basic social, education, and health services. 

Failure to safeguard the public funds from incompetent, negligent, irresponsible, and fly-by-night contractors and suppliers is another demon that siphons the people’s money in a horrifying degree.

If millions of pesos worth of contracts in public works, health, education, agriculture, energy, military, police, and transport projects are wrongly and maliciously awarded through spurious biddings, it’s a perfect recipe for multiple and massive catastrophes; it’s tantamount to robbing the taxpayers in broad daylight and stripping them lock, stock, and barrel.

That’s why we have bridges collapsing even during light downpours; asphalt overlay disappearing from the pavement like chalks in the blackboard; farm-to-market roads turning into roads to hell and perdition; cracking down waiting sheds and right of way sidewalks; dooming school buildings, gymnasiums, and grandstands, etcetera.  

 

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Could the lousy and unpresentable P680-million Iloilo flyover project in Ungka, Pavia, for instance, a product of incompetence and negligence or graft and corruption (the “slicing of the cake” to small pieces and the “popping of tiny bubbles”)? 

Or both?

If the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) cannot remedy the Titanic humiliation and ignominy and satisfy the public, the Ilonggos will think the taxpayers have been duped and swindled big time.

“Graft and corruption tangle the social thread of communities, erode the moral fiber of human relationships, and sully the reputation of social institutions. Legislative and judicial mechanisms, including a strong, just criminal justice system, must deal with graft and corruption at every level of society. Good, just political governance characterized by transparency, accountability, and integrity is crucial to the eradication of graft and corruption. Societies that are graft-ridden and plagued with corruption are needful of God’s pardoning love and redeeming grace,” said the Church and Society.

  

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Are we cultured and educated? A cultured, truly educated person is not one who knows as much as is in the encyclopedia, but is one whose knowledge—great or small—is in order.

The man with the most efficient education is not the one who knows things; he is the one who knows where to go to find out about them. 

I am proud to state that I do not know what selenium is and I do not know the names of the bones of the human body. 

Why should I mess my intellect up with this knowledge for which I have no use? 

Charles Darwin once said, “The highest possible stage in moral culture is when we recognize that we ought to control our thoughts.”

My fight is to keep books out of my library, to keep papers off my desk, to keep new furniture from being brought into the house, and to keep from eating what I cannot digest.

The eternal struggle is against the superfluous. For superfluity kills more people than poverty.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)

‘Sinking’ Iloilo flyover and Fukuoka sinkhole

“Infrastructure is much more important than architecture.”

— Rem Koolhaas

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

NOW that the Iloilo Dinagyang Festival 2023 is history, let’s revert back to the most controversial topic the Ilonggos love to discuss and loathe for a good reason these past months: the scandal-ridden Iloilo flyover project.

Because there was no assurance from his regional subordinates and, perhaps, the contractor of the P680-million project, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan assured the Ilonggos the flyover in Ungka, Pavia would be opened “before the Dinagyang (Festival) 2024.”

The right word should be “reopened” since it was already available for traffic and motorists for several days—only to be closed on September 18, 2022 because it was “sinking.”

Other than that, Bonoan can’t do or promise anything. 

Whether the much-verbally defiled flyover project, pushed by former Senator Franklin Drilon before his retirement from politics, would be permanently feckless and inutile didn’t matter as long as public rage was mitigated with Bonoan’s see-you-before-the-Dinagyang-2024 assurance.   

Hyperbole.

He can’t (in fact, he can but with a big risk and perplexity) compel his regional subordinates and the contractor to do the impossible (“refund” the taxpayers or build a better and scandal-free flyover to replace the doomed structure) just to please the suspicious and impatient public.

 

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Bonoan must’ve realized the spine-chilling harm the project had caused the taxpayers and no immediate remedy was in sight given the degree of its damage and the looming turmoil, thus he needed to act and speak like a politician to cushion the public indignation. 

If there is smoke, there is fire. If it is “sinking” that means something is fundamentally not good in as far as construction is concerned.

Bonoan couldn’t directly admit in public there was ineptitude and negligence in the project; he couldn’t openly lash at those responsible of giving the DPWH headache and humiliation. 

But he had the nerve to assure the public as if everything was OK and picked the Dinagyang Festival 2024 as timeline for the grand resurrection.  

 

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We don’t have the engineering and structural expertise, but we can conclude as ordinary observers that our technology, resourcefulness,  and virtuosity in public works, especially in the repairs, restoration and swiftness pale in comparison to other Asian neighbors like Japan.

When it comes to public construction workmanship and inefficiency, we are oceans apart from Japan, among other neighboring countries.

After the Iloilo flyover’s structural integrity was put into a big question mark during the initial check and inspection last year, everything else seemed to fall into pieces. 

It had been closed to the motorists only days after its opening and the reopening has been held in abeyance indefinitely.

In Fukuoka, Japan six years ago, a 30-meter sinkhole that opened up outside a busy railway station and threatened to topple nearby buildings, was repaired in only 48 hours after workers had toiled around the clocks.

The badly damaged road reopened to traffic and pedestrians early after two days when local officials declared the repaired stretch safe.

It was reported that the weeklong rush to reopen the busy stretch of road included repairs to a sewage pipe and replacing traffic lights and utility poles that were swallowed when the sinkhole opened up shortly after five o’clock in the morning.

 

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The incident reportedly caused power cuts and disrupted phone signals, and gas and water supplies, but there were no reports of injuries.

The mayor of Fukuoka, Soichiro Takashima, said the affected ground was now 30 times stronger than before, adding that a panel of experts would be set up to establish the cause of the cave-in.

Local media reports said the 30m by 27m sinkhole, which was 15 meters deep, was caused by construction work on an extension to an underground line.

The Fukuoka workers, who filled the hole with 6,200 cubic meters of sand and cement, drew praise on social media. One person tweeted: “I’m surprised the road reopened in a week!” Another said: “Impressive. That was fast.”

“The astonishing speed of the repair work brought back memories of the efforts to reopen roads that were badly damaged by the March 2011 triple disaster,” the UK-based The Guardian reported on November 15, 2016.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interruption

“There will be killing till the score is paid.” 

― Homer, The Odyssey

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

WHILE we were monitoring the Iloilo Dinagyang Festival 2023 “live” Saturday night (Sunday morning in the Philippines) via the internet, a “breaking” news about mass shooting in Monterey Park, California, the first in the Year of the Rabbit, interrupted.

When the news first broke out, there was no immediate available number of casualties. We only learned that 10 people have been killed early Sunday morning when several TV news networks belatedly disclosed it (they, too, could not immediately get the exact number of dead).

And late in the afternoon, another “breaking” news came: a man was found dead inside a white cargo van after a standoff with police in Torrance, California.

Police confirmed the dead was the suspect who carried out the mass shooting. He was identified as Huu Can Tran, 72, and was pronounced dead at the scene following a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said during a news conference Sunday afternoon also aired “live.”

Luna said Tran is suspected of opening fire at a dance studio in Monterey Park, killing 10 people and injuring 10 more as the city’s large Asian American community was celebrating Lunar New Year weekend.

The Monterey Park massacre was the first recorded mass shooting in the United States this year.

Most of the dead were reportedly Asian Americans, but we are confident no Filipino was among the dead.

 

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Across America, gun violence surged in many communities in 2022 at 617 as overall death rates from firearms rose to the highest level in nearly three decades. 

The year saw a near-record number of mass casualty shooting incidents, including several allegedly motivated by hate. The Monterey Park mass shooting appeared to be not motivated by hate, according to a California congresswoman.

Mass shootings are broadly defined as an incident in which four or more people are shot or killed, not including the shooter.

Analysts see a link between bias-motivated gun violence and a rise in hate groups and toxic discourse in the United States targeting vulnerable, often marginalized populations.

In June last year, Congress approved the first national gun legislation in decades. 

The law sought to deny firearms to those deemed dangerous and a threat to public safety. It would also fund new mental health programs and require enhanced background checks on gun buyers aged 18 to 21.

Many Republican lawmakers opposed the legislation. “Democrats are coming after law-abiding American citizens’ Second Amendment liberties,” said Ohio Republican Congressman Jim Jordan, referring to the constitutional right to “keep and bear arms” that gun rights defenders believe should be broadly protected.

But many Democrats and gun control advocates want to go further and ban semi-automatic weapons, among other restrictions.

 

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Phenylalanine is an essential amino acid that is a neurotransmitter, a chemical that transmits its signals between the nerve cells and the brain. It reduces hunger, increase sexual interest, improve memory and mental alertness, and alleviate depression. (Source: Vitamin Bible)… Foods and nutrients that can lower our cholesterol naturally: Activated charcoal, barely, carrots, chromium, corn bran, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower), eggplant, evening primrose oil, fenugreek seed, fiber, garlic, ginger, lemon grass oil, soy beans, yogurt, red pepper, onions…In 2020, Hispanics was supposed to outnumber the whites in the United States, according to a census report. While some white couples have one or two babies, some Hispanic couples have four to six babies. No wonder…PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME (P.M.S.). For two to ten days before the onset of menstruation, millions of women are affected by a wide range of physical discomforts and mood disorders--from bloating, depression, and insomnia to severe pains, uncontrolled rages, crying spells, and even suicidal depression. This is known as P.M.S. (Source: Vitamin Bible)… The seven cardinals of the Roman Catholic church who falsely condemned Galileo Galilei in the Holy Inquisition were F. Cardinalis de Asculo, G. Cardinalis Bentiuolus, Fr. Cardinalis de Cremona, Fr. Antonius Cardinalis S. Honuphrij, B. Cardinalis Gypsius, Fr. Cardinalis Verospius, M. Cardinalis Ginettus. 

 

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HAPPINESS DRINK. A study involving more than 1,000 Japanese people age 70 or over found that those who drank at least four cups of green tea a day enjoyed better moods than those drinking a cup or less. The uplifting ingredient is theanine, the researchers believe…STRATEGY. In addition to talking to our youngsters about the dangers of cigarettes, let us encourage them to play team sports and watch tobacco-free flicks. 

It could keep them from lighting up, according to a recent study. Noneathletes ages 9 to 14 were twice as likely as sporty kids to become smokers later in life, and all kids who watched movies showing heavy smoking were about 20% more likely to get addicted.

ALL ABOUT SCIENCE. The sun is an incandescent ball of gases. Its mass is 1.8 x 1027 tons or 1.8 octillion tons (a mass 330,000 times as great as the Earth), according to the Carnegie Library of Pittsburg…In round numbers, the speed of light in a vacuum is 186,000 miles (300,000 kilometers) per second. 

The exact figure is 186,282 miles (299,792.458 kilometers) per second.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)

Ilonggos at their best

 

"It's not what you look at that matters. It's what you see."

 —Henry David Thoreau

By Alex P. Vidal

 

ILONGGOS have just shown the world they live in a great city with a great festival and a great hospitality.

The successful staging of the Dinagyang Festival 2023 said it all. Ilonggos were able to solidly exorcise the stigma of the pandemic that pulled the festival away from the streets for a while, and handled the spectacle with a reinvigorated energy, confidence and pride.  

And it is expected to translate into triple whammies—a boom in investment opportunities, a Renaissance in local tourism, and a bright prospect for peace and order.

Vatican, as well as the Roman Catholic hierarchy, would be fascinated by how the Ilonggos venerated the child Jesus, Senor Santo Niño: wholistic and unalloyed.

Hospitality is what the Ilonggos are known for; and it was manifested in the way they welcomed, hosted, and entertained guests from other parts of the country and outside the Philippines.

Visitors witnessed the amazing display of indigenous talents and materials in the two-day Kasadyahan and ati tribe competitions and in the awesome exhibition of cultural and religious presentations days earlier, including the iconic and the much-revered fluvial and foot processions that featured the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) fiber boats, dragon boats, jet skis, yachts, barges, and bancas, with the PCG’s 3503 MV Romblon leading from Fort San Pedro and passing through the Guimaras strait towards the Iloilo River on January 20.

Kudos to the Iloilo Festivals Foundation, Inc. (IFFI), Iloilo City Government, the Iloilo Provincial Government, the regional, provincial and city tourism offices, Philippine National Police Police led by Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) director, Police Brigadier General Leo Francisco.         

 

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We are not alone. There are billions of galaxies, according to Carl Sagan. 

Thanks to Albert Einstein who broadened the Law of Mechanics initiated by Galileo and Isaac Newton with his Theory of Relativity. 

Truly, scientific achievement in the 20th century has become the major yardstick with which to measure a nation's cultural advancement.

It is estimated that the Earth is 98 billion years old. 

Dinosaurs lived on earth for about 100 million years before they were annihilated by a cometary impact, among other theories. 

We humans starting from homo sapiens have not even inhabited the Earth for one million years but many of us already think we are already the most knowledgeable creatures in the universe.

 

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One manifestation of possible life in a certain planet is the presence of micro organisms. 

Scientists have reportedly found a micro organism in planet Mars. 

Was Mars inhabited by living creatures millions if not billions of years ago? 

How about in Jupiter, Saturn, among other planets in and outside the Solar System not yet explored by human beings from planet Earth?

Those who condemn the person who rejects an organized religion should study Plato's "Allegory of the cave"

The evolution of human thought is among homo sapien's best contributions to civilization.

 

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Ayn Rand, author of "Atlas Shrugged", was reportedly a cougar like Eleanor of Aquitaine, one of Europe's most powerful women, Elizabeth I, Catherine II, and Mae West.

"Who are you?" was the first question Sophie Amundsen got from an anonymous letter sender in the New York Times bestseller "Sophies's World", a novel about the history of philosophy, written by Jostein Gaarder, author of "The Solitaire Mystery"

 

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Sex education is a broad term used to describe education about human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, reproductive health, emotional relations, reproductive rights and responsibilities, abstinence, contraception, and other aspects of human sexual behavior. Common avenues for sex education are parents or caregivers, school programs, and public health campaigns.

 

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George Washington was only 18 when he was appointed general of the Continental Army, and was the only U.S. president who didn't live in the White House… The FBI seized at least six more classified documents from President Biden’s Delaware home on Saturday, the president’s personal lawyer said. FBI agents searched the home for almost 13 hours and walked out with “six items consisting of documents with classification markings and surrounding materials,” attorney Bob Bauer told reporters.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)