No to Martial Law in Visayas

"It is impossible for us to break a law. We can only break ourselves against the law."
--Cecile B. DeMille

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- Please spare the Visayas.
In his arrival speech in Manila from Russia May 24, President Rodrigo Duterte hinted he might also declare Martial Law in Visayas if the situation warrants.
Duterte's statement came hours after he signed a document in Russia placing the entire Mindanao under Martial Law after a band of terrorists belonging to the Maute Group rolled over Marawi City and killed scores of unarmed civilians and cops and damaged government properties on May 23.
They also hostaged a priest and several others while fleeing from scene of the carnage.
The blitzkrieg caught both the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) by surprise.
While many groups, experts, military and civilian leaders supported Mr. Duterte's order in Mindanao, we doubt if he can gather the same sentiments once he includes the Visayas if the Maute Group is not annihilated in Mindanao.

ENTER

The only time that a terrorist group entered the Visayas area was during the Holy Week in April this year when Abu Sayyaf bandits sneaked into Bohol only to be demolished by the government's superior forces before they could inflict mayhem on civilians and government properties.
There was no need for the President to declare Martial Law to nip Abu Sayyaf in the bud in that bloody raid.
Tourism and economy will be badly affected if Visayas is placed under Martial Law.
All the efforts and sacrifices undertaken by our tourism and economic officials these past months will go to waste once military rule is established in the Visayas albeit temporarily.
The Martial Law in Mindanao is only for 60 days, Mr. Duterte asserted, but it could last until the end of his term as president.

MILITARY

Investors are not comfortable with a military rule. Tourists will shy away from our country in general.
In a language understood by ordinary civilians, Martial Law is synonymous to violence. It also means curtailment of their basic rights.
Authorities will, of course, argue that Martial Law is necessary in order to protect the state; or, the interest of the state will always be paramount over the interest of individuals residing in the state.
If Martial Law is "good" for Mindanao in order to restore peace and order and put to total stop all potential terroristic activities by Maute or any Islamic rebellious group, it may be a bane for Visayas, Luzon and the entire country in general.
Mr. Duterte's national security advisers must evaluate and reevaluate the situation thoroughly before making drastic military decisions for Visayas and Luzon.
Congress must also do its share and utilize its constitutionally-mandated powers to help guide the President on this crucial matter.

A devil's vehicles

"We are in a world that is quite extremist and extremism makes more noise. Normality does not sell."
--Vicente del Bosque

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- We congratulate the Iloilo City Council in the Philippines for putting an end to the abuses of motor vehicle owners who used modified mufflers that caused terrible noise, inconvenience, and irritation without any concern to the public.
Irked pedestrians and observers referred to vehicles using modified mufflers as "a devil's vehicles" and wished they disappeared in the roads soon.
It was learned that if the muffler had a hole, it could cause dangerous gases such as carbon monoxide to leak into the cabin of a vehicle.
The colorless, odorless gas was reportedly a product of the combustion process.
Back in 2013, based on a personal experience, I've noticed while staying outside a big mall in La Paz district, Iloilo City, where a large number of vehicles using modified mufflers passed by, that mild exposure to carbon monoxide could give me headaches, dizziness, and nausea.

EXPOSURE

In fact, health authorities have warned that a prolonged carbon monoxide exposure can lead to unconsciousness and death.
Kudos to the local legislature for recently passing an ordinance penned by Councilor Joshua Alim seeking to prohibit the “Selling and Using of Modified Mufflers of Public and Private Motor Vehicles in Iloilo City and Providing Penalties Thereof”.
Before Alim's ordinance was passed, many homeowners' associations, cities, restaurants, and apartment complexes in other cities have adopted laws against loud noises from defective mufflers.
Those who used a broken muffler faced fines or refusal of service until they got the muffler fixed. A damaged muffler can reportedly cause a car trip to be noisy and uncomfortable.

-o0o-

We first heard of the "Sleeping with the enemy" in 1991 as the title of a psychological thriller movie starred by Julia Roberts and Patrick Bergin and directed by Joseph Ruben.
It was based on a novel of the same name by Nancy Price.
Roberts played a woman who escaped from her sadistic husband, from Cape Cod to Cedar Falls in Iowa, where she captured the attention of a kindly college drama teacher.
In the 1992 Philippine presidential elections, the late former House Speaker Ramon Mitra accused some of the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) members who supported the candidacy of Lakas bet Fidel V. Ramos of "sleeping with the enemy".
Those who "cavorted" with FVR had earlier voted for Mitra to be the LDP's official standard bearer. FVR formed the Lakas, which later became a Lakas-NUCD, when he lost to Mitra in the party convention.
"Sleeping with the enemy" became a byword once again when Police Supt. Maria Cristina Nobleza and suspected Abu Sayyaf member Renierlo Dongon were arrested in a checkpoint in Bohol recently.
They were reportedly trying to provide assistance to the remaining Abu members trapped in the province after being waylaid by government troopers when they sneaked in before the Holy Week.
Nobleza compromised her duties and responsibilities and loyalty to the country because of her love for the younger suspected terrorist.
Truly love conquers all.

Panay, Negros 'too far' for Abu Sayyaf raid

"This fanaticism is what feeds terrorism. And this is precisely why Muslims must play an active role in opposing hate sermons and incitement to terrorism and extremism in their mosques."
--Otto Schily

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- Panay and Negros islands will always be safe from terroristic attack as long as the country's intelligence network is accurate and effective.
The Abu Sayyaf terrorists who engaged Philippine troops in a bloody gunbattle in Bohol on April 11 were probably also on their way to sneak into other regions to terrorize and kidnap tourists planning to visit the beautiful beaches and resorts in the Visayas during the Holy Week.
But since they were waylaid by government soldiers in Bohol, they could no longer proceed to Cebu and probably in Negros and Panay islands where tens of thousands of foreign and domestic tourists had been staying there enjoying the summer vacation.
There will always be powerful military detachments prepared to foil their invasion.
Based on their number in Bohol, there was no way for these terrorists to even leave Bohol alive if the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) doubled their air, sea, and land reinforcements.
The numerically inferior terrorists would be massacred if they did no retreat and abandon their evil plans in the Visayas.


-o0o-

Although most members of the Iloilo City Council agreed in principle to submit themselves to a drug test as suggested by Councilor Plaridel Nava during their regular session on Monday, not all of them are happy with the idea that they would undergo such "degrading" examination.
"Ka degrading ina para sa amon as members of the legislature. Para lang ina sa mga priso kag applicants sa driver's license," one of them reportedly told his media friends
Nava believed that as elected public officials, they should set as good example by voluntarily submitting themselves to a drug test.
He was worried because Iloilo City had been tagged by no less than President Duterte as "the most shabulized" city in the Philippines and he probably wanted to disabuse the minds of the Doubting Thomases.

-o0o-

It was during my high school years in a Catholic institution in Jaro, Iloilo City in the Philippines where I was able to understand what Holy Week is all about in our Christian Living subject.
Holy Week or "Semana Santa", is the week preceding Easter and the final week of Lent.
It begins with Palm Sunday and ends with Holy Saturday, the day before Easter Sunday.
Holy Week includes Holy Thursday (also known as Maundy Thursday) and Good Friday, which, together with Holy Saturday, are known as the Triduum.
In 1969, before the revision of the liturgical calendar, Holy Week was the second week of Passiontide; in the current calendar, Passiontide is synonymous with Holy Week.
Christians commemorate the Passion of Christ, who died on Good Friday in reparation for the sins of mankind, and rose on Easter Sunday to give new life to all who believe.
Thus, while Holy Week is solemn and sorrowful, it also anticipates the joy of Easter through the recognition of God's goodness in sending His Son to die for our salvation.
The Days of Holy Week are Palm Sunday, Spy Wednesday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday.