Atan and Mary Ann as Osmena alternative?

Local headlines screamed early this week that sportsman Atan Guardo will run for mayor with Lahug Barangay Captain Mary Ann delos Santos as vice mayor of Cebu City.

This came after two Osmenas — Mayor Tomas Osmena’s estranged kid sister Georgia and uncle former senator John Osmena — expressed their intention for Cebu City’s top post. They will go against Tom’s bet Vice Mayor Mike Rama.

I would like to point out that Tomas does not exactly relish supporting Rama judging from his continued adverse remarks and the mayor’s fielding of his trusted man Joy Young as running mate and wife Margot Osmena as councilor. Uncle John Osmena said Margot is running to serve as “yaya” of Mike Rama. Tomas himself said Margot shall keep Mike’s girlfriend Joy Pesquera from interfering in city affairs.

The situation of Tom’s party (Bando Osmena-Pundok Kauswagan) bets prompted both Georgia and Sonny to test the political waters in Cebu City which is a traditional Osmena bailiwick. However, both Georgia and Sonny are not exactly exciting candidates for city residents.

Then entered Atan and Mary Ann.

Let me clarify though that the verbal accounts of what transpired during the Atan-Mary Ann presscon contrasted with the published reports. Both did not categorically say they would run for mayor and vice mayor.

Both known as opposition bets for congressmen in the north and south districts respectively merely bared a unified program for Cebu City, not district specific legislative agenda. They pushed for what they called OUR Cebu City. “OUR” means opportunity, unity, and reform. They pitted this slogan against Tom’s MYCT that referred to Mike Rama, Joy Young, Cutie del Mar, and Tomas — the four main candidates of BO-PK.

According to insiders, they merely want to project a unified program for both north and south districts that they would pursue in Congress. Even Tomas saw this and said both would run for Congress.

However images of Atan and Mary Ann campaigning together for a unified program were seen by the local media as a campaign for mayor and vice mayor. And the media projection tickled several political players in Cebu.

Now is the Atan-Mary Ann tandem a viable alternative to the Osmenas?

I believe that would depend on how they would conduct themselves in the next few weeks especially in pushing for their supposed advocacy. If they succeed in getting a critical mass of Cebuanos actively behind them and their advocacy their so-called OUR Cebu City, they will have a good chance of making it either as congressmen or as mayor and vice mayor.

CO2 causes climate change: fact or hypothesis?

Lawyers in Cebu, Philippines, who are into anti-climate change advocacy are publicly claiming that carbon dioxide (CO2) as a cause of climate change is already a scientific fact that is beyond dispute.

Atty. Benjamin Cabrido of the Global Lawyers Against Climate Change (GLACC) had been repeatedly saying this before members of the local media.

I am sure many have already accepted this view. But something in me says there is something wrong.

Way back in our elementary and high school days, my science teachers taught that science is not a collection of undisputed facts that we memorized from science books. It involves testing what we believe things are through observation and experiments. Scientific knowledge is arrived at by meeting and passing rigid tests.

Thus we first make a hypothesis that is subjected to experiments. If it passes the tests, we treat it as theories. Over time and upon consensus by scientists who subjected the theories with more experiments, it may become a law.

But even laws could be changed later as new scientific knowledge emerges. For instance, Newton’s laws on gravity were modified by Einstein’s Laws on Relativity.

“Even the most persuasive scientific findings are, therefore, held to be incomplete and tentative — always subject to further investigation, revision and dismissal in the light of new scientifically tested discoveries … And it is fanatic certainty that science replaces with a recognition that even the most entrenched scientific findings are at best partial or temporary truths and hence uncetain,” wrote Alvin and Heide Toffler in their book “Revolutionary Wealth.”

My point is: it is wrong to claim that the scientific finding on “CO2 as a cause of climate change” is beyond dispute. One only needs to Google or search Youtube for “climate change” to be able to get a glimpse of the other side.

I am saying this because the climate change theory is already being peddled as an absolute truth and beyond question, much like dogma of religious fanatics. Those who disagree become lynching targets.

Coal debate in Naga: Looking for a middle ground

I accepted the invitation of Gov. Gwen Garcia to cover her trip in South Korea. Basically, the trip is for a tourism conference. But she intends to visit coal fired power plants owned by KEPCO to see for herself how clean or dirty the technology these plants are.

True, KEPCO would try to present their best side. Yet, we should be able to observe more objectively and think about what is applicable to Cebu and Naga.

As a journalist and the one tasked by the University of San Carlos with writing the history of Naga, I find the trip an excellent opportunity for seeing myself CFBC power plants in operation. This is timely in the light of the raging climate change controversy that has made Naga a local battleground in the global fight to avert the warming of the earth.

I am quite acquainted with the anti-coal arguments advanced by my friends within the local environmental movement in calling for an immediate stop to the construction of the KEPCO plants in Naga. On the other hand, I also am privy to the arguments of the other side as well as the sentiments of Naganhons preferring  jobs and development over the prospect of ecological damage.

I talked with Mayor Val Chiong during the city’s second charter day celebration last September 5, 2009 and sensed his desire to explore a middle ground.

Indeed, while we look forward to making moves to avert global warming, we should also respect the sentiments of the local populace. Cebuanos, for example, definitely don’t want to part with the modern conveniences made possible by the supply of reliable and affordable electricity.

I agree that we should be able to find a middle ground. The Korea trip would help me personally to look at the controversy from a broader perspective. Ultimately though, it would be the decision of the people of Naga that should be respected.

With President Aquino in Malacanang 1987

I joined other Central Visayas youth leaders in posing with President Corazon Aquino during the Konsultahang Kabataan 1987. I was the Region 7 youth coordinator. The other youth leaders representing Cebu were Aristotle B. Batuhan (former congressional candidate), Jorge John Cane (now Danao City councilor), Victor Ariel Canoy (son of the late Vic Canoy), Bellona Luna (who became a staff member of Joey Lina), Ramsey Quijano (now Cebu chapter president of the IBP), Jay Yuvallos (now a business leader in Mandaue City), and Josefat Montebon. Those who represented Bohol and Negros Oriental were Ferdinand Ayos, Orlando Ducay, Luis Dungog, Ma. Neriza Lumantao, Avelino Olasiman, Ma. Anna Prisicila Pareja, Perlita Penkian, Rufino Sun Jr., and Rogelio Torres. We joined the national consultation of youth leaders in Pook ni Maria Makiling in Los Baños, Laguna on February 23-28, 1987 that proposed the formation of the National Youth Council, National Youth Assembly, and Sangguniang Kabataan as alternatives to the Kabataang Barangay.

Don Bosco Batch 77 and Facebook

The wonders of the Internet continue to amaze me through much of the decade. The latest – and I admit quite belatedly because before I’d rather play chess at FICS, or be content with lurking in Cebulife, Yahoo groups, or some favorite blog sites – involved Facebook.

Because of this popular social networking site, Don Bosco Technical High School 77 batch mates here and abroad regularly meet not only online but also offline. So far, the ones in Cebu met almost every weekend during the past month – Peter Alan Señeres of CEBECO 2, Noel Paras of Shamrock, Ludovico Lim of Timex, Manuel Roa of Norkis, Rodrigo Cumba of MCWD, Fred Navales of PAL, Raymond Diez of COA, the entrepreneurs Dodong Dico, Bobby Magbutay, Dodong Lopez, Danny Demecillo, Mon Prescillas, and Eric Ruiz. Al Paraguya who recently retired from the US Navy and Lando Cabaluna of Telecom-Cagayan de Oro joined us. The last time such numbers gathered was during our 25^th anniversary way in 2002.

So far, there are already 25 members of our Facebook group including Fr. Richard Varela. To view our group’s page, click this link “Batch 77.”

Ogtong Cave Resort

Thanks to the Bantayan Island Power Corp. (Bipcor), I had the opportunity to stay overnight at a unique resort that features a cave where one could swim in fresh water underground. I just don’t have my card reader right now to be able to access the photos from my phone camera. Just wait for my updates to this post.

Renewable energy

I believe in renewable energy and the need to increase its use to avert irreversible climate change. However, there is still the need to develop RE technology to the point that it becomes an affordable source of baseload power for Philippine grids.

Thus, I also disagree with the call for the immediate stop to the construction of new coal-fired plants that would serve as a source for baseload power while we develop RE sources.

The path should be increasing RE sources in the grid by mothballing the 25-30 year old plants even as we ensure continued economic growth and years of no brownouts using the new coal-fired plants.

Spending the Holy Days in Dalaguete again

I placed the word “again” in the title because this is the third time the family is back in Dalaguete.

The first time was nearly a decade ago when the kids were still small. Karlo was still in high school. Kikay or even Nicole were not yet born. Ahmed Cuizon and his family joined us then.

The second time was last year. Doris organized the “Pasyon sa Mantalongon” and brought Gilbert Bargayo who had himself nailed to the cross after a reenactment of the 14 stations of the cross.

This time, it’s only the family who is Joe Canton’s guests at his resthouse.

We arrived this afternoon and the younger kids (Kikay and Nicole) immediately jumped into the sea. The older one’s? They stuck like glue to the laptops.

Tonight, we’re here (that’s Doris and me) at the restaurant of the Ocean Bay resort where there’s Wifi. And while I’m writing this with bottles of beer beside me, Doris is taking her time talking with Mr. Cooper, the owner and a potential client.

Bulay-og

The word “bulay-og” hit the nail in the head, a fellow journalist said. He referred to my use of the Cebuano term in describing the seeming incompetence of the police force in Cebu City in solving two sensational crimes: the assassination of assistant fiscal Patrick Osorio and an Iranian student.

The Superbalita editorial was written after acting Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama told the local press that he wants the city’s police force to compare notes with their colleagues in neighboring Mandaue City. The Mandaue police took only a few days in solving two sensational crimes — the gory killing of call center agent Lynn Vi Ebarita and the textmate rape-slay of one Emily Nuneza.

It captured the public’s sentiment over police performance on the two recent sensational crimes.

Immediately after the editorial came out February 5, 2009, Cebu City Police Office Director Patrocinio Comendador called all his station commanders to attend a press conference. The press conference was held to convey the following messages:

• That they are not “bulay-og”
• That they have a lot of accomplishments
• That media should not try to demoralize the police

The reaction was such that even police beat reporters got cowed. The president of the defense press corps, who writes for Superbalita,  even tried to apologize for the editorial.

The police reaction immediately triggered heated discussions in radio commentary programs and local coffee shops.

The next day, a brother who has friends with the police called me asking about the editorial and how it has gotten the ire of the city’s top police brass. Meanwhile, regional police chief Ronald Roderos came out in defense of Comendador.

The police reaction was bad crisis PR management.

Instead of acknowledging the sentiment, asking the public for patience as they have achieved considerable progress in the investigation, and reserving the press conference when they finally solve the cases, the local police went into a rampage against the editorial.

Instead of defending the articulation of a legitimate public sentiment, the defense press corp. apparently feared more the ire of their sources and losing the goodwill they have established.

Unfortunately for the police, until they actually solve the two sensational cases, they have maneuvered themselves into becoming a fixed target for more criticisms.

Bit of Naga History — Killing of a Mayor

(This is an excerpt of a book on the history of Naga, Cebu that I am working on …)

Two rifle shots shattered the calm. Tragedy again struck Naga town.

An hour before, Santiago Emnace drank Pepsi Cola with his wife and kid at the neighborhood store before going home. Naga’s acting mayor Daniel Dacalos tended the store located beside the road in Langtad, Naga. It was already 8 o’clock that fateful evening of April 4, 1952.

The moon, about as high as the sun at 2 or 3 in the afternoon, lit up the surroundings of the wooden structure the Emnace family called home near the seashore. The sky was clear. Only the familiar beat of waves crashing throbbed.

When Emnace arrived home, he found their water jar empty. “I told my wife that I would fetch water at the artesian well,” the cement worker later told police investigators.

He could clearly recognize his compadre Ambrosio and Fredo Paunil squatting near the house of his neighbor Pedro Abella as he passed by towards the artesian well some 300 meters from his house. The brothers saw him approach carrying a can water container. Ambrosio called out and told Emnace to hurry up because no water might come out from the well.

“Compadre, water will come out if I push the artesian well up and down,” he replied. After filling up the can, he carried it on his head and went back home. He returned to the house leaving the brothers still squatting, some 10 brazas or a little over 16 meters from the well.

As he asked his wife to help him lower the can, one shot reverberated. He immediately went out of the house supposedly to answer the call of nature. Another shot rang out.

“Tabang! Daniel Dacalos!” a woman cried out. The acting mayor was already sprawled on the ground. A bullet hit him on his left arm while standing at the door of his store, his back towards the road in front.

Hidden in a patch of unplanted cornfield where he squatted, Santiago Emnace could clearly see Ambrosio and Alfredo Paunil running across the plowed field towards the latter’s house nearby. Alfredo carried the caliber 30 rifle.

Dacalos was immediately brought to the Cebu Portland Cement company hospital at Barrio Tinaan, Naga. However, he died of acute hemorrhage at 5 o’clock the following morning.[1]

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[1] Supreme Court en banc, G.R. No. L-9328, May 28, 1958, “People of the Philippines versus Ambrosio Paunil.