Odicta once arrested for 'snatching'

"To have once been a criminal is no disgrace. To remain a criminal is the disgrace." -- Malcolm X

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- I first heard the name Melvin "Boyet" Odicta in the early 90's when I edited the stories of our police beat reporters,  Ruby Silubrico and Ednalyn Belonio-Diamante, in Sun Star, a daily newspaper in Western Visayas in the Philippines.
If Odicta was not arrested in a buy-bust operation and raids conducted by elements of the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) then headed by Supt. Vicente Neptuno in his residence in Brgy. Tanza-Esperanza, City Proper, he was nabbed for, believe it or not, snatching!
Since Odicta was never convicted of snatching, either complainants refused to pursue the case for fear of reprisal or lack of interest, or he was a victim of a mistaken identity as he had insisted, according to police.
In other words, the man who raked in millions of pesos allegedly in trafficking of illegal drugs in year 2000 up and became the most-feared character in the underworld, started as small fry.
Odicta had always insisted he was a legitimate businessman. They operated a taxi company and a restaurant. 

'DRUG LORD'

The man tagged by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and by no less than Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Director Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa as "the drug lord", reportedly began as a mere street hooligan.
His sudden transformation from alleged small-time trafficker and "snatcher" to big-time "drug lord" was meteoric, to say the least.
It was when Odicta began to "collaborate" with Merriam Regalado-Porras, who became Mrs. Meriam Odicta, that his name became a byword and his empire ballooned.
Meriam was widow of the notorious gangster Tikboy Porras of Pototan, Iloilo. Porras was murdered reportedly by his former cohorts in a beach resort in Iloilo City in early 80s.
Porras, who also reportedly dabbled as hired killer, was one of the fast-rising illegal drug traffickers in Iloilo province when he was killed, police said. 
Police said it was possible that Meriam "inherited" her dead husband's connections and sources in the illicit deals.

CONVICT

When Odicta was sentenced to life imprisonment for violation of Republic Act 6425 or the Dangerous Drugs Act of 1972, he met some of the jailed criminal bigwigs in the New Bilibid Prison, believed to be the source of first-grade metamphetamine chloride or shabu.
Authorities viewed his alleged connections in the New Bilibid Prison mafia plus Meriam's "well-entrenched" tentacles as "formidable" combinations.
When he was released under a controversial circumstance in the 90's, Odicta made a name in the underworld as "Dragon", his nom de guerre in the New Bilibid Prison probably inspired by the huge dragon tattoo on his body. 
Dragon was reportedly both feared by his rivals and admired by his cohorts. His connections were so wide and powerful that he became untouchable for a long time, police said.
The Odicta couple were gunned down by unidentified assailants as they arrived via ro-ro in Caticlan, Aklan on August 29.
They came from a meeting with Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Ismael "Mike" Sueno in Metro Manila where they reportedly submitted a list containing the "illegal drug trade matrix", a report denied by the couple's lawyers.

Dragon stares at death but couldn't spit fire

"He who does not prevent a crime when he can, encourages it."
--Lucius Annaeus Seneca

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- In the hands of his executioners, suspected drug lord Melvin "Boyet" Odicta Sr, popularly known as "Dragon", saw imminent death.
Based on manner of his execution, there was no way Dragon could escape and survive.
A gunman shot Dragon and wife Merriam as they alighted from a roll-on roll-off vessel at around 1:30 a.m. in Caticlan, Aklan August 28, Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson Superintendent Dionardo Carlos confirmed.
"Please get me out of here," Dragon, limping with a bullet wound on the right foot, pleaded to his lawyer Gualberto Cataluna over mobile phone.

The most feared underworld personality could not even spit a fire as he struggled to avoid being finished off after surviving the first volley of shots. 

TRAP

But he was trapped. And Dragon probably knew he was finished.
Dragon was supposed to be brought to a Malay hospital but witnesses, including Cataluna, claimed policemen handcuffed him.
Minutes later, the man considered as "the most powerful and well-connected drug lord" in Western Visayas, was dead.
He had bullet wounds in the body and head, it was reported.
Before he died, Dragon witnessed how his wife, Merriam, was peppered with bullets in the back.  
The Odictas were declared dead on arrival in the hospital.
The couple were on their way to Iloilo from Manila where they were reported earlier to have "surrendered" to Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Ismael Sueno.
Cataluna insisted they sought Sueno's help because of threats they were getting in Iloilo and did not surrender.
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Director Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa earlier tagged Dragon as "the drug lord." He had vowed to wipe out all the drug lords in six months.

EVIDENCE

There was no evidence that the hard-hitting PNP chief had ordered Dragon's killing. He asserted that he does not tolerate summary executions but vowed to "get hard" on criminals, especially the drug lords.
For a while, Dragon seemed untouchable. 
He repeatedly denied envolvement in trafficking of illegal drugs insisting he was a legitimate taxi operator. The couple managed the Melvin taxi company, among other businesses in Iloilo City.
For so many years now, a mere mention of Dragon's name evoked fears among local law enforcers, business rivals, politicians, and crusading mediamen.
He had "friends" in almost all sectors and organizations. He was also reportedly a "benevolent" election campaign contributor.
Residents in places where Dragon had businesses and houses wouldn't comment about the nature of his other "businesses" and sources of income, we were informed. He also reportedly provided sacks of rice, cash for tuition and hospital bills, among other financial assistance, to poor neighbors.

CORRUPT

Some corrupt cops, politicians, thugs, and media personalities were reportedly under his payroll. 
Some of the unsolved gruesome murders involving policemen, media personalities, underworld characters and even ordinary employees had been reportedly linked to Dragon and his associates.
No charges have been filed against them, however, in relation to these gangland-style killings.
Aksyon Radyo, a local radio station in Iloilo City, became Dragon's fiercest critic and continued to expose his alleged illegal activities amid threats of reprisal and harassment.
Dragon and his cohorts had been charged with trying to invade the radio station two years ago. They were caught on CCTV seizing some gadget owned by the radio station during the raid.
Dragon's death reportedly left a vaccum in the leadership of illegal drugs in the city and province of Iloilo. 

TENTACLES

"At least his tentacles will now start to be decimated now that the main head has been cut off," a namesake, Boyet, who now lives in California, said. "He was probably killed by his protectors for fear he might squeal on their partnership."
Boyet said some of Dragon's protectors "are so powerful and prominent. Ilonggos will be shocked if they will know who they are."
Boyet, a former underworld character, said Dragon's protectors had been "looking for the right opportunity" to strike starting when they learned that Dragon's name was included in the list of suspected drug lords in the country secured by President Rodrigo Duterte.
"They have finally caught him up in Caticlan," Boyet averred. "Happy days (for the Ilonggos) will come again (after Dragon's demise)."

Don't aim a gun if you won't pull the trigger

"Yes, people pull the trigger - but guns are the instrument of death. Gun control is necessary, and delay means more death and horror." Eliot Spitzer

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- The basic unwritten rule for gun owners is never aim your gun at anybody unless you are determined to pull its trigger in any circumstance.
Any licensed gun owner, whose life is under threat, is aware that once he pulls the deadly hardware from holster, it's either he will shoot the enemy first or he gets killed if the enemy beats him to the draw.
A gun can not harm a fly or threaten a human life if not mishandled and misdirected.
There are guns for sports and guns for actual combat.
A person can own a gun as a hobby to shoot the birds even if he is a non-combatant.
Ownership of a gun is not a license to aim it at any Tom, Dick and Harry if provoked; it is not a licensed to kill--unless for self defense. 

APPLICANTS

That's why, all applicants for license to carry and own a gun are being required to undergo a neuro test to determine if they are qualified to carry and keep the deadly weapon in and outside their residences.
A psychotic shouldn't be allowed to carry a gun, much less own one.
A character with depressive mood is also a potential trigger-happy maniac. 
To protect the public, only those with stable mental and emotional conditions are given licenses by authorities to own and carry a gun.
But personally, I am against the carrying of gun or any deadly weapon for that matter. 
A gun control means there are still guns, but we need to control or regulate them.
I advocate a gunless society.

-o0o-

IT was not immediately established if slain Dumangas, Iloilo Comelec officer, Raymund Valera, 52, really aimed his gun first at the taxi driver who shot him at an intersection in Molo district in Iloilo City December 8 evening.
According to suspect, Rodney de los Santos, 37, he killed Valera in self defense.
The taxi driver alleged that Valera pointed a gun at him when his taxi caught up with Valera's Isuzu Crosswind at Brgy. Fundidor, Molo.
He gave chase to Valera after the victim allegedly blocked his taxi when it tried to overtake his Crosswind along Brgy. Dulonan, Arevalo district.
Valera is no longer around to dispute De Los Santos' allegations, but the incident certainly was a clear case of road rage, a traffic altercation that ended in murder.

SIMILAR

We have seen and heard so many similar cases anywhere in the world.
A balikbayan brother of a former presidential candidate killed on the spot by an irate motorist, a female senior vice president of a multinational corporation shot at close range in the stop light, among other senseless murders related to traffic dispute.
Other cases became sensational because the culprits were either celebrities or influential people. 
Or the victims were either professionals and executives or defenseless ordinary citizens peppered with bullets right inside their vehicles like animals. 
As to the claim of De Los Reyes that Valera "provoked" him and aimed a gun at him first, it's up for the court to believe or not.
Murder could have been prevented if both Valera and De Los Reyes were not carrying guns.
Road rage, as well as deadly weapons, has no place in a civilized society. 

Ganzon, Malabor turncoats with questionable loyalty

"My whole thing is loyalty. Loyalty over royalty; word is bond."  Fetty Wap

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- We can't blame some Liberal Party (LP) mainstays in Iloilo City if they are not comfortable with the presence of former city councilors Jeffrey Ganzon and Mandrie Malabor in the administration bandwagon.
The two balimbings (turncoats) are running for the city council in the 2016 polls under the LP ticket of reelectionists Rep. Jerry P. Trenas, Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, and Vice Mayor Jose Espinosa III.
Strange bedfellows, indeed.
In the 2013 elections, Ganzon lost to Espinosa for vice mayor, while Malabor lost for councilor when they ran under the opposition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).
All the UNA local candidates from congressman, mayor, vice mayor and councilors were, in fact, massacred in an unprecedented 15-0 blitzkrieg. 

CASUALTY

One of the UNA casualties for councilor was Dr. Gold Gonzalez, daughter of the late Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr., who is now running for mayor against Mabilog.
Members of the opposition party shared one vision and mission and vowed to stay together and go down together against titanic odds.
But when Gonzalez and her team filed their certificates of candidacy (COCs) in the Comelec last month, Ganzon and Malabor were no longer with the group.
They filed their COCs under the LP.
Like opportunists, they abandoned the opposition and embraced the administration to save their own necks.
They probably thought their chances of winning in 2016 were nil if they did not jump ship and join the "enemy."

DEFEAT

Were they demoralized after their 2013 defeat? 
Are they desperate to win and have underestimated the capacity of the party they jettisoned? 
What happened to the principles and cause they loudly espoused in the 2013 elections?
In 2013, their group accused the Mabilog and P-Noy administrations of graft and corruption and election fraud (owing to the 15-0 result in the local and national elections).
Some of them and their subalterns even filed a case against the mayor in the Ombudsman.
Can we blame Mabilog and other LP stalwarts if they will distrust these deserters and suspect them to be Trojans? 
By joining Mabilog's group, Ganzon and Malabor are expected to "behave" once they are back in power--or they will be ribbed as "ingrates."

Ilonggos don’t want a repeat of Manila film center tragedy

“History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce.”

Karl Marx

By Alex P. Vidal

WE are worried that the incessant and continuous pressures applied on contractors to finish the P700-million Iloilo Convention Center (ICC) before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) ministerial meetings might result in another construction catastrophe.

God forbid.

The Manila film center tragedy is still fresh on our mind.

Because of pressures to finish the project before the international film festival hosted by Manila on January 18, 1981, construction of the $25-million building was expedited when delays hampered the project.

Delays have also been experienced in the ICC project with no less than APEC National Organizing Committee (NOC) head, Ambassador Marciano Paynor Jr., expressing concern during a visit in Iloilo City February 24.

“Until it is built, it is a concern. Once it is finish, the concern is gone,” Paynor announced shortly after being informed that the main venue of the meetings is still being constructed.

Iloilo City will host two APEC ministerial meetings in September and October.

CONCERN

We understand Paynor’s concern but we need to have faith in the capability of the contractors to beat the deadline without sacrificing quality.

In the ill-fated Manila film center, the project required 4,000 workers as the deadline drew nearer.

Under pressure, they worked in three shifts, around the clock.

Tragedy struck when the upper scaffold collapsed, sending workers falling into wet cement at 3’oclock in the morning on November 17.

Some of them were impaled on upright steel bars, according to witnesses whose testimonies were not included in the newspapers that carried the news.

Media was under control during Martial Law.

Then First Lady Imelda Marcos was immediately informed about the tragedy and was told the recovery of the bodies would take a lot of time.

As many as 169 bodies were allegedly covered with cement when Mrs. Marcos ordered the construction to continue as planned so as not to incur further delays.

CEMENT

Some of those who fell into the cement may have been buried alive, critics of the Marcos dictatorship claimed.

We asked Mrs. Marcos about this incident when she campaigned for president in 1992 and she called the story as a “blatant lie.”

She told us there was only a single casualty and that enemies of the Marcoses “bloated” the figure “out of malice and out of spite.”

We read the news in the Daily Express (we had a daily copy in the house) and the article did not mention the death of more than one worker.

Independent chronicler of historical events, Lisa Waller Rogers, claimed that “the full story has never been told, as news crews, rescuers, and ambulance teams were barred from the scene for nine full hours, while the government, under martial law, prepared its official version of events, censoring all news and silencing all witnesses.”

CANNES

Mrs. Marcos, Rogers said, wanted Manila to rival Cannes as a world film capital. She described the project as “grandiose and expensive; the building on Manila Bay was designed to look like the Parthenon.”

Hilmarc’s Construction also bagged the second phase of the 3,700-seater convention only two weeks ago.

The Small and Medium Enterprise meeting is from Sept. 21 to 25 while the High Level Policy Dialogue on Food Security and the Blue Economy is from Sept. 28 to Oct. 6.

Like the international film festival that the Manila film center hosted in 1981, Ilonggos are also excited to host part of the APEC meetings this year barring unforeseen construction and political circumstances.

Double victory for Marivic Mabilog

“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” Mahatma Gandhi

By Alex P. Vidal

VICTORIA “Marivic” Griengo Mabilog has all the reason to be happy and proud.

Aside from being the wife of the world’s no. 5 city mayor, she lives in the same city where the recently proclaimed winner of the 2014 World Mayor comes from.

It’s a double victory, to say the least.

Marivic’s husband, Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, landed 5^th place among the 26 finalists.

Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi has been awarded the 2014 World Mayor Prize by the World Mayor Project.

Marivic, a senior finance officer in a Canadian private company, has been based in Calgary, Alberta for nearly two decades and goes to Iloilo City every now and then to attend important festivals and events, including family affairs.

The first lady of Iloilo City, a low profile and someone who is allergic to VIP treatment, must have rubbed elbows with Mayor Nenshi on countless occasions in Calgary in the past although she “hates it to be introduced in Canada as the wife of Jed because I am Marivic.”

Marivic, who landed 12^th in the CPA licensure exams before she met Mayor Mabilog, called her husband’s 5^th place finish “a bliss” while her normal blood pressure was “a blessing” the day she woke up to receive the World Mayor news.

VISION

Bestowed every two years to a mayor who has developed and realized a vision for urban living that is relevant to towns and cities across the world, the award was conceived in 2004.

By honoring those who have served their communities well by governing openly and honestly, and those who made significant contributions to cities nationally and internationally, the projects aims to raise the profile of mayors worldwide.

In his Facebook account, Mayor Mabilog expressed satisfaction with his fifth place win:

“Well, I think no. 5 in the whole world is not bad? Its GOOD ENOUGH. To be named among the World's top 5 is a huge honor for me, for my family, for my country, the Philippines and my city. Thank you dear people of Iloilo City for your trust and support. TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!! I am Iloilo, Proud to be Filipino.”

The top 10 2014 World Mayor are:

1.  Naheed Nenshi (Calgary, Canada)

2.  Daniël Termont (Ghent, Belgium)

3.  Tri Rismaharini  (Surabaya, Indonesia)

4.  Carlos Ocariz   (Sucre, Venezuela)

5.  Jed Patrick Mabilog (Iloilo City, Philippines)

6.  Albrecht Schröter (Jena, Germany)

7.  Annise Parker  (Houston, USA)

8.  Yiannis Boutaris (Thessaloniki, Greece)

9.  Giusy Nicolini  (Lampedusa, Italy)

10.    Aziz Kocaoglu  (Izmir, Turkey)

Illegal Jaro plaza vendors: Are you talking to us?

“Uncertainty is a very good thing: it's the beginning of an investigation, and the investigation should never end.”  Tim Crouch

By Alex P. Vidal

THE task of clearing the sidewalks of Jaro district plaza of illegal or ambulant vendors falls on the office of Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, not with the city council.

Instead of bellyaching, city councilors should leave the matter to the city mayor’s office.

The city mayor’s office implements ordinances. 

The city council enacts them.

The city council can’t usurp the powers of the executive office, vice versa.

Councilor Joshua Alim said they will investigate reports that illegal vendors were allowed to erect stalls on the sidewalks of the plaza during the Jaro Agro-Industrial Fair after paying certain fees, which, he said, was illegal.

Only registered stalls inside the plaza were allowed and authorized to pay rental fees, etcetera.

The city councilors, receiving complaints from legitimate stall owners inside the plaza, wanted to know who's behind the racket.

Three council committees will spearhead the investigation after the February 2 district feast of Jaro's Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, Alim said.

COMMITTEES

These committees are: tourism, culture and historical affairs headed by Councilor Nielex Tupas; good governance headed by Councilor Jason Gonzales; and barangay affairs and community development headed by Councilor Carlos Guarin.

What for?

Any step made by city hall authorities after the event would be moot and academic.

The “crime” has been consummated.

Illegal vendors won’t give a damn about any council investigation to be held after they have served their purposes.

They can even snub it.

When city hall first heard that illegal vendors were being allowed on the sidewalks of Jaro plaza in exchange of unauthorized fees in January, Mabilog should have ordered a team to drive them away.

The demolition should have commenced before the Jaro fiesta or the start of the agro-industrial fair.

If stalls of ambulant vendors are demolished by city hall only after the fiesta or the holding of the agro-industrial fair, city officials will look stupid.

‘THANK YOU’

Illegal stall owners will loudly tell city hall: “thank you for the free services.”

But the city mayor’s office has been mum over the furor.

It was only the city council that made a lot of noise, threatening to hold a committee investigation to determine who’s at fault.

The vendors were reportedly allowed on the sidewalks after paying P200 to the Special Services Unit of the city government for P200.

They vendors also paid P30 per light bulb to a light contractor. An organization also charged them as much as P4,000 to P5,000 per stall without any receipt.

Based on these tips, city hall should have started clamping down on these illegal vendors and the illegal transactions involving some organizers as early as last month.

The issue here is corruption. 

Somebody made money out of the presence of these eyesores within the belt line of the plaza.

While nobody from the city mayor's office is aggressive enough to identify and punish the scoundrels, some city councilors consider the issue an urgent matter.

Thus they will investigate after the smoke has disappeared.

In Tagalog, they have this popular aphorism: "Aanhin pa ang damo kung patay na ang kabayo." (The grass is useless if the horse is dead.)

Pope Francis and female saints in Molo Iloilo church

“Why should we take advice on sex from the pope? If he knows anything about it, he shouldn't!” George Bernard Shaw

By Alex P. Vidal

LIKE Plato, Pope Francis must be an admirer of women’s potential and capacity to govern; however, not necessarily in Vatican.

But like Aristotle, the 78-year-old spiritual leader of the world’s 1.2 billion baptized Catholics must not be ready to raise the status of women in church since, he said, they were only “taken from a rib.”

Pope Francis considers women as "the most beautiful thing God has made".

"Theology cannot be done without this feminine touch," he adds.

The Argentine pontiff believes that "women must have a greater presence in the decision-making areas of the church. But I would call this a 'functional' promotion. That won't take us very far."

The pope insists that "the issue of women needs to be gone into in more depth, otherwise you can't understand the church itself."

He did not envisage appointing a woman to head a Vatican department.

In his scheduled visit in the Philippines from January 15 to 19, Pope Francis’ activities are all in Manila.

No more out-of-town side trips.

If allowed to visit Iloilo, Pope Francis would be appalled to see that the only Catholic church in Asia with 16 images of women saints inside is in Molo Church in Molo district, Iloilo City.

It is the only church in Asia patronized 100 percent by women wanting to be empowered by the graces of women saints.

ROCKS

Made of coral rocks (affixed with a mortar made from egg whites mixed with sand), the Molo Church earned the moniker “women’s church.”

The church’s centerpiece in the retablo is the image of Sta. Ana, the patron saint of Molo.

Sta. Ana or Saint Anne was the mother of the Virgin Mary and grandmother of Jesus Christ.

Molo Church, the most imposing structure in the district, was built in 1891 and stands as a reminder of Iloilo’s rich history and a monument for Ilonggo artistry.

It exudes a fusion of the overpowering features of Gothic and the recessive characteristics of Romanesque architectural styles.

Very sturdy and attractive in the neighboring districts from across the Iloilo River, Molo Church has survived fires, earthquakes, and artillery barrages in 1945.

EVACUATION

Historians claim that the church was made as an evacuation center for the civilians during WWII.

According to Explore Iloilo, “One tower is said to have been destroyed by the Americans after suspecting it was used for military purposes by the Japanese during the Second World War.” It added: “The bells still bear the scars of bullets shot at Philippine resistance fighters in the second world war. The National Historical Institute declared it a national landmark in 1992.”

Pope Francis refused to be called as superman.

"I don't like this mythology of Pope Francis," he said. "It seems offensive to me to depict the pope as some sort of superman or a kind of star.”

“The pope is a man who laughs, cries, sleeps soundly at night and has friends just like anyone else. A normal person."

THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA

“The thought that so many people get their news from social media really is scary.” Rush Limbaugh

By Alex P. Vidal

A FEW minutes after major streets in Iloilo City were flooded due to monsoon rains brought by typhoon “Florita” last July 7, the whole world immediately learned of the situation via social media.

Photos of flooded downtown streets immediately spread in the Facebook and Twitter, enabling fellow Ilonggos living outside Western Visayas and in other countries to get a clear ringside account of what was going on in the City of Love.

The speed and accuracy of the news transmitted via social media that very moment gave disaster coordinating councils in the region ample time to spruce up their rescue operation teams just in case the situation turns awry.

Forty years ago, photos of floods and other disasters reached the attention of people in other regions only after several weeks when newspapers published them. Horrors of actual damage and deaths were chronicled only on radio reports. Even television networks at that time were not as fully-equipped and as state-of-the-art compared to the technology we have today.

HIGH-TECH

Most high-tech mobile phones now have digital cameras that can transmit photos and videos in a snap of a finger to the global village via the social media.

It was not hard to get the sympathy of people in other countries when super-typhoon “Yolanda” struck in Central Visayas last November 2013 because the destruction was seen all over the world courtesy of the social media, thus foreign relief assistance poured in dizzying speed and volumes.

Access has become smooth and easy to actual scenes of riots, earthquakes, tsunamis, mining disasters, violent police operations, collapse of buildings, dispersal of street rallies, fisticuffs involving parliament members, traffic altercations, ATM robberies, burglaries, sex scandals as these can be conveniently taken from the CCTV and mobile phones and uploaded to YouTube via mini tablets, laptops and desktop units and become parts of household, office and even school entertainments.

The power of social media is limitless and boundless. It can sway public opinion; it can provoke insurrection; it can be used to destroy and promote personalities, clubs, products, religious groups, politicians, athletes, and events.

NETIZENS

Netizens have become the most influential purveyors of real and reel information and reliable liaisons between media and public. In terms of speed and accuracy, the netizens have given the mainstream press a run for their money, so to speak.

Because of social media, Fr. Romeo Obach of Sacred Heart Chapel in Jagobiao, Mandaue City was forced to apologize to the 17-year-old unwed mother he had humiliated during the baptism of the girl’s child last July 6.

More Fr. Obachs all over the country made the same horrendous misbehavior in the past but managed to get away with their demagoguery because their evil acts and verbal abuses were not recorded for all the world to hear and see. Suffice it to say that if the unwed mother’s 12-year-old sister did not record Fr. Obach’s ungodly misconduct, the prelate would not have capitulated.

Social media also gave us front seat view of how Brazil was steamrolled by Germany in one of the host country’s lousiest FIFA World Cup matches in recent memory last July 9, and how fast we learned that San Antonio Spurs defrocked Miami Heat in the 2014 NBA finals last month.

Flood not a reason to spit at our officials

“As a biblical inerrantist, I believe that what the Bible teaches is true and bow to the text, including its teaching about the Flood and its universality.” William A. Dembski

By Alex P. Vidal

Hot-tempered and impatient, many Ilonggos were quick to rib their public officials by calling them “negligent” and “incompetent” each time flash floods would cascade down the city and province of Iloilo brought by monsoon rains.

They scored their public officials’ failure to come up with comprehensive plans and management on flood control, and for their lack of foresight and preparations to deal with natural calamities.

While we have an abundance of neglectful and even incompetent public officials, our problems on flood control and other disasters won’t be solved overnight if the only quick-fix solution we believe to be most effective is to train the guns and crucify them only because we are irritated and inconvenienced. 

Much as they would like to solve this gnawing problem, most of them just don’t have the capacity and extra time and energy to deal with floods, which requires devotion of their full attention, experience and technical expertise.

Most of our public officials become allergic to media interviews when the people start to become restless and hell-bent to wring their necks for being the convenient scapegoats.

POLITICIANS

Take note that most of our public officials are politicians and not urban planners. They are good in debates and SOPs (standard operating procedures, the euphemism for kickbacks on projects), not on dredging of dams, building of manholes and dikes, pipelines, water canals, and other technical works.

Many of us may argue that the public officials’ job is merely ministerial and they can always legislate or enact ordinances and laws, or issue executive fiats, to that effect, to commence the urban planning and widening of waterways and other infrastructure projects that can help address the flood problem. The tasks are inherent in their powers under the local government code.

But knowing the mentally of most politicians nowadays, worrying about gargantuan problems that would eat up a big bulk of their time and energy would be the least of their concerns.

After all, our politicians have fixed terms and aren’t married to their positions. They come and go and are normally at their best only when elections are near or when they are trying to deodorize their tattered image.

PROBLEMS

Floods, like power blackouts, have been the perennial problems of the Ilonggos. There is no escape, actually, whether we like it or not.

Geographically, Western Visayas sits in the area where typhoons from the east, west, north and south poles regularly pass, thus there is no way for us to be spared from their wrath. Plus Iloilo is a highly urbanized city with a large population. In thickly populated areas, garbage problem that clog the drainage is one cause of flash floods, not to mention the wanton cutting of trees in the province’s mountainous areas.

As city residents, we are living witnesses since high school days how flash floods rattled the commuters and pedestrians that are mostly students and office workers caught flat-footed while on their way to schools and offices vice versa; how traffic disrupted important schedules and destroyed appointments.

Floods also wreak havoc on business establishments that lose substantial amount of income when potential customers are stranded and unable to go shopping.

Instead of pointing accusing fingers at our public officials it is best if we do our own share in the preventive measure. After all, an ounce of prevention is always better than a pound of cure.

Days are numbered for Delgado, Estanzuela ‘prosti’ houses?

“Prostitution is criminal, and bad things happen because it's run illegally by dirt-bags who are criminals. If it's legal, then the girls could have health checks, unions, benefits, anything any other worker gets, and it would be far better.”  JESSE VENTURA

By Alex P. Vidal

Flesh trade in Iloilo City is expected to suffer a big blow now that the city council has moved to expedite the passage of the moral recovery and decency ordinance.

The ordinance’s main targets are those engaged in commercial sex trade or prostitution. The ordinance is also expected to protect minors exploited by abusive pimps.

Three of the most notorious prostitution dens in Iloilo City, in fact, are located in Delgado Street, Brgy. Rizal Estanzuela, and Brgy. San Jose, Molo. There is another one reportedly located in Brgy. Democracia, Jaro but we heard it voluntarily “closed shop” recently after one of its commercial sex workers was diagnosed with HIV, a virus that leads to AIDS.

There are other clandestine whorehouses in Calumpang, Calaparan, and Baluarte, all in Molo district, that are considered potential producers of sexually transmitted disease (STD) like herpes, syphilis and HIV virus.

We say "notorious" because these prostitution houses, especially the ones in Brgy. Estanzuela and Delgado St. (adjacent the Philippine Tuberculosis Society building), are like “tiangge” or sari-sari store. Open to the public.

DISPLAY

So blatant and rampant is prostitution in these areas that their pimps have no qualms in displaying their pink ladies on sidewalks as if they were like fruits and vegetables. 

These human sexual commodities distract pedestrians and send a wrong signal to children and tourists. Some parents have expressed concern about the negative impact of allowing these sexual commodities to be paraded and displayed in these areas. They are alarmed that these immoral acts are tolerated by barangay officials and police authorities. 

By seven o’clock in the evening, these prostitution houses are gleaming like Christmas trees and surrounded by Christmas lights.

Some of the regular clients of the prostitution house in Brgy. San Jose, meanwhile, are government officials and municipal mayors, our sources revealed. This prostitution den makes a killing, our sources added, each time the League of Municipalities-Iloilo Chapter hold a conference in the city. The sources did not elaborate.

Now that the “Ordinance on Moral Recovery and Decency of 2014” penned by Councilor Plaridel Nava has been approved in the first reading, it is only a matter of time before it will be implemented as a city ordinance.

Once it becomes an ordinance, it would be unlawful for any person to solicit money from another in exchange for sexual favors.  

The ordinance prohibits any person from transacting, engaging, performing, portraying or displaying any lascivious conduct before the public.

Nava proposed the ordinance after he noted an “alarming” increase of the number of commercial sex workers in the city.

TOUGH

The penalties are not really tough but aside from the corresponding fines, violators will go to jail: For first-time violators, a fine of P1,000 or 30 days imprisonment, or suffer both upon the court’s discretion. For a second violation, offenders will be fined P2,000 or 31 days to six months imprisonment, or suffer both. For third and succeeding violations, offenders will be fined P3,000 or six months and one day to one year imprisonment, or suffer both.

We hail the city council for this ordinance. We need a moral recovery program not only for public officials, but also for all of us.

Trees buttress Iloilo City’s beautification

Trees buttress Iloilo City’s beautification

“God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and a thousand tempests and floods. But he cannot save them from fools.” John Muir

By Alex P. Vidal

There are good reasons why we should preserve our age-old trees along Gen. Luna Street affected by road-widening project.

Trees have helped beautify Iloilo City not only along highways, but also along the river and public plazas. It was said that Dr. Jose Rizal was infatuated with our old trees when he made a brief stopover in Iloilo City when he was exiled in Dapitan in 1896. Gen. McArthur was also awed with the old trees in Plaza Libertad when he visited the city after World War II.

The late former National Press Club president and former sectoral Rep. Arturo Borjal, a many-time Iloilo City visitor, once told this writer Iloilo City has some of the oldest and most unique trees in the Philippines.

“The city government as well as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Tourism must preserve those trees and should not allow progress and development to be used as excuse to cut them,” explained Borjal while looking at the lunok tree beside the city hall.

LOGGERHEADS

City aldermen and the Department of Public Works and Highways recently were at loggerheads when several workers were caught in flagrante delicto cutting some trees along the Gen. Luna highway for the road-widening project.

The spat was renewed after Councilor Joshua Alim questioned a so-called verbal agreement between the city and the DPWH where they supposedly agreed last month to uproot the trees, to be replaced with palms instead. DPWH resumed its road widening project two weeks ago a posteriori the agreement, after works were temporarily suspended as a result of the protest from the city council which was supported by the DENR by refusing to grant DPWH clearance.

There really was no clear agreement, thundered Alim

He hollered: “They assumed all the while that everything was okay when there really was no clarity on some things. With all due respect, daw naghaum-haum lang ang tanan that there is no problem at all.

“The earlier agreement on the meeting’s venue was not followed, and I was not informed. When I arrived at the new venue, the meeting was already over,” he further stressed insisting he was not present during the April 29 meeting.

Freda Mae Sorsano, reporting for Panay News recently, wrote: “DPWH’s Iloilo City District Engineering Office asked the City Council for a confirmation that indeed the legislative body had agreed to such an agreement. The DENR is requiring a confirmation from the City Council before giving DPWH the green light to proceed with the uprooting of the trees. Alim convinced his colleagues to defer giving such confirmation. He also sought another meeting between city councilors and DPWH officials led by Regional Director Edilberto Tayao. He said he will raise several concerns.”

“First time ko nakakita nga sa tunga madugang road space,” Alim said. “Kag kun mabuhin sila kahoy kag islan man gihapon sang kahoy, paano sila kadugang road space?”

REPRESENTATIVES

“Aside from Tayao, City District Engineer Rodney Gustilo and representatives from DENR and the Department of Agriculture will also be summoned to the meeting set on May 28. The trees, mostly pine trees and eucalyptus, were planted more than 60 years ago upon the construction of General Luna. In a previous interview, Tayao said the “best option” was to continue with the road widening. “Nagkaroon kami ng conclusion to push through with a win-win solution. Patuloy po ang project,” said Tayao. The regional director explained why it is advisable to replace trees on General Luna Street. “There are trees whose roots will grow big enough and possibly damage the pavement,” he said.

“Tayao said the trees need to be removed because the road will be expanded by uprooting all the trees on the street’s center island and have that part paved instead of expanding on the sides.”

 It is said that deciding which trees to preserve, and designing development around them often seems like a 'chicken or the egg' problem. Environmentalists suggests that the trees suitable for preservation must be identified before designing around them and the design strongly influences the selection of trees to be preserved.

EVALUATION

A preliminary evaluation of the trees to determine those that are suitable for preservation is seen as one way out of this dilemma. Environmentalists also suggested comparing information with conceptual site plans and identifying the trees suitable for saving, and modify the site plan to accommodate the desirable trees. Working out the details of grading and preservation for trees that will remain is seen as a final stroke.

Environmentalists say in most cases the costs to preserve trees are significant. Costs accrue because the land dedicated for tree preservation is unavailable for building, structures, and techniques to minimize damage to trees require extra design and construction attention, and affected trees must be maintained to support long-term health. These costs will be borne by the public, whether through increased taxes to pay for trees in public rights-of-way, higher homeowner association dues, greater commercial rents, higher home prices or direct payment for maintenance. Trees should be selected carefully, keeping their value and contribution to the new environment in mind, it was further suggested.

Are buildings in Iloilo's Chinatown fire hazards?

Are buildings in Iloilo's 
Chinatown fire hazards?

By Alex P. Vidal

As an elementary pupil at the Iloilo Central Commercial High School (now Hua Siong College) in the 70s, I witnessed how families of my Filipino-Chinese classmates suffered when their business establishments, which also served as their residences, were gobbled up by fires in downtown, City Proper.
Some of the biggest fires that razed antic buildings built way back during the Spanish and Japanese period happened in the 70s and 80s. In the early 80s, I witnessed how a female occupant was trapped to death in the upper floor of the burning Sambo Bazaar on J.M. Basa St. Firemen and rescue teams watched in horror as the victim tried in vain to remove the grills on the window until she was burned alive.   
Some Filipino-Chinese families have businesses--groceries, shoes, kitchen products, toys, ready to wear items, hardware, among other goods--in the heart of Calle Real for more than 100 years now. Everything that the Ilonggo shoppers needed, Calle Real stores provided. Even original cinemas were located mostly in Calle Real. The emergence of big malls slowed down shopping activities in the area. Moviegoers have also shied away and are now patronizing the more modern and sophisticated theaters in big malls.

TRIANGLE

The fire that gutted several business establishments on Iznart St. last Friday night (January 24) was in the area called "triangle" where some of the oldest stores in the Chinatown were located.
Some of my Filipino-Chinese classmates and friends who own stores in that area admitted they were constantly on alert and always ready to pack up in case of fire. "Faulty electrical wiring" was always blamed to be the cause of fires in this area.
Some of the recently refurbished buildings are fire hazards and actually need total repair and should have been abandoned a long time ago.  

ORDINANCE

During the time of Mayor Mansueto Malabor, the city council passed an ordinance sponsored by Councilor Jose Junio Jacela and now Rep. Jerry Trenas to preserve buildings that are 80 years old. 
Meaning that these old buildings can not be condemned and will only be rehabilitated to preserve their historical values.
It's time for the Bureau of Fire Protection to make a thorough check of all buildings--old and new--in the Chinatown area to ensure that they are not fire hazards and their occupants comply with the building code.

Cleopatra would have given those 'call girls' decent pay

By Alex P. Vidal 

A coffee shop in front of SM Delgado in the City Proper in Iloilo City has become the most favorite meeting place of "call girls" and their male clients (the most frequent and prominent customer is known as "Maw Tsetung," a bemoustached Chinese trader in his 60's who owns shops in the Mary Mart Mall and who hires two girls simultaneously like a chess player for an overnight tournament).
Most of these "pink" ladies are high school and college students and don't have regular pap smear tests as required those working in prostitution houses in Rizal Estanzuela, Timawa, Calumpang, Baluarte, Jaro, among other notorious "red barangays" in the metropolis. 
They have no pimps and their services are hired directly and openly like commodities sold in "tiangge" or kiosk.
If the city task force against anti-pornography, prostitution and lewd shows is really bent on clamping down on these illegal transactions, all it has to do is visit the place from one o'clock in the afternoon until 10 o'clock in the evening. 
Even malnourished-looking girls approach lolo "Maw Tsetung" for "tuition" and "text load."


QUEEN


Going back to the year 41 B.C., let's look in on Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt. 
This was a few years after the assassination of Julius Caesar. 
A civil war followed between Caesar's killers, Brutus and Cassius, and Caesar's avengers, Octavius and Mark Antony. 
The few independent kingdoms left in the world were in a bad fix. 
They were always in a bad fix when civil war broke out in Rome. 
They weren't interested in either side. In fact, they would have loved to see both sides destroy each other, but they could not remain neutral. 
They had to pick one side and hope to high heaven that they had guessed right.
Now in this civil war after Caesar's assassination, they all guessed wrong. This was understandable. Octavius (who later became Emperor Augustus) was a young boy, hardly more than 17 years old, and Antony, the handsomest man in Rome, spent most of their time with dancing girls and having one big time for himself.
Therefore, everybody picked Brutus and Cassius, two experienced generals and particularly sober men, temperate in all things except in the study of politics and philosophy. 
How could they miss? But they did miss! Young Octavius and Mark (wine-women-and-song) Antony beat their brains out. 
Now for the payoff, Octavius and Antony divided the world with a third party who did not count for much.


COLLECTION


Antony took the East, and the first thing he did was start on a collection tour. 
Collecting fines and taxes from these independent states and kingdoms that had picked the losers. 
He was doing fine, real fine. 
Antony showed an amazing understanding of world politics. 
He assessed the people over a long term--so much a year, instead of crippling their economy and productivity with a huge lump-sum fine.
His next stop was Cleopatra. She, too, had sent some assistance to help Brutus and Cassius, figuring that she was on the winning side. 
Antony pulled up at the city of Tarsus, and sent word to the Queen of Egypt to present herself to him so that he might pass judgment.
Cleopatra came, but on her own time. 
While Antony sat on the throne in the Forum of Tarsus waiting for Cleopatra to plead her case and be judged, she was sailing up the River Cydnus, "in a barge with purple sails, gilded stern, and silver oars to beat time to the music of flutes and fifes and harps. 
Her maids, dressed as sea nymphs, were the crew, while she herself, dressed as Venus, lay under a canopy of cloth gold." (Will Durant, "Caesar and Christ").


SUNDAY


When news of this barge reached the people of Tarsus, they all came out in their Sunday best, lined both  banks of the river to watch the wondrous sight. Pretty soon Antony was sitting in the Forum all alone. His now regiment of Roman legionnaires were at the riverbank. 
There was nothing left for Antony to do but to follow the crowd, and, as the barge was fastened to the pier, the crowds made way for Mark Antony.
He began by reproving her for being late, and ordered her to come to the Forum. 
Cleopatra, in sweet tones, suggested that they could get their business done in more pleasant surroundings on her barge. 
Antony's arms being twisted, he went aboard and stayed the night. 
The next morning, he gave Cleopatra Phoenicia, Syria, the Island of Cyprus, half of Arabia, Cilicia, and all of Judea. 
"Call girl" Cleopatra would have given those Iloilo coffeeshop "call girls" more than what "Maw Tsetung" is giving them if they were recruited as Cleopatra's maids.