Three of four kidnap victims are Pinoys

The prevailing myth that most victims of kidnapping are Filipino-Chinese is not true. Most of the victims are Filipinos. In fact, three out of four kidnap victims are Filipinos, not Filipino-Chinese.

This was revealed by Teresita Ang See, head of the Movement for Restoration of Peace and Order, during the turnover of housing units to beneficiaries at the Tsinoy Village and the Gawad Kalinga housing project in Escalante City.

Ang See said Filipino-Chinese or Tsinoys are assumed to be victimized more because they represent only 1.2 percent of the country’s population and they are more vocal and are better organized in denouncing kidnapping.

She pointed out that while the number of kidnapping incidents went down in September, the police should remain vigilant. She called on the national government to assist anti-crime groups in fighting kidnapping though she lamented that the government does not have funds to support the police and the task force against kidnap-for-ransom activities.

However, she stressed that the government should persist in their efforts to curb kidnapping because the kidnap gangs are just waiting for the right time to strike again.

"We cannot allow the policemen to go into battle without bullets," she said, adding that the police are also distracted by the current political crisis.

During the inauguration of 50 houses at the Kaisa-GK Tsinoy Village in Sitio Tab-ang in Escalante City, no less than Mayor Santiago Barcelona received the houses from the Filipino-Chinese community and Gawad Kalinga.

Alfredo Barcelona, regional director of the Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc., said that everyone’s initiative is needed so the Philippines will be progressive.

Barcelona also donated the 1,058 hectares of property used by the GK, Escalante City and the KAISA Para sa Kaunlaran Inc. to form the Tsinoy Village. The 30 homes were funded by the FCCI. The other 20 were constructed from the donation of the Don Shi Hometown Association through Ambassador John KC Ng of the KPSKI.

Mayor Barcelona said that his goal for Escalante is to have no squatters in the city by 2014. "It is a tough and tall order, but we can accomplish our goal as long as help each other," he said.

The Tsinoy Village is the third project in Escalante City that provide residents earning less than P3,000 a month to have their own homes. The other two housing villages are Pag-asa Habitat for Humanity in Barangay Junob-Junob and the Kalipay Fisherfolk Village in Barangay Poblacion.

Let us forget politics and move on as one nation," Ang See said.

Stop politicking and unite

Unity was also the message of Bro. Rolando Dizon, former chairman of the Commission on Higher Education, yesterday.

Dizon admitted that he was part of the movement which had called for the resignation of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and also batted for her impeachment.

The resigned government Cabinet member said, however, that there have been enough hearings and testimonies and the people have heard enough.

For me the impeachment is through and everything that is within the law have been done. So, if the opposition wants to impeach the President again, they have to wait for another year, he explained.

The opposition failed to muster 79 votes to send the impeachment complaint to the Senate because they lost many battles on many fronts. They did not prepare the complaint very well and they lost many of the legal arguments, Dizon said.

He also cited the dangers of forcing the President out, a "situation where we could be faced with a civil war." He added that there could be a split in the military since some of them would remain loyal to the President.

"The persistent calls to try to force the President out are already counter-productive," stressed the former CHED official.

Instead of the protracted call for presidential resignation, Bro. Rolly "humbly" asked the opposition to work together for the development of the country in the face of tremendous problems like poverty and unemployment.

Although he lauded the President for her competence and intelligence, Dizon advised her to handle her immediate family very well. She must also regain popular trust. "And she can do it if she governs well and her decisions redound to the common good," he added.

Members of the Anti-Arroyo groups in the province, especially Alab Katipunan secretary general Ben Solilapsi, called on other groups to continue to discuss and reassess their position even without the Church.

They expressed their disappointment with Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra who stressed during their meeting Thursday that the search for truth must be guided by the principles of the rule of law provided in the Constitution.

Well, this time, there is a paradox — the anti-Arroyo forces seek Church backing and, when this is not readily made available to support their cause, they turn their backs on the Church.

Well, your slip is showing.

Gonzalez’s jarring moves

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez recently stunned the arraignment of Don Salvador Benedicto Mayor Cynthia de la Cruz, former Mayor Nehemias and several others, when Prosecutor Peter Go stood up to read his resolution junking the complaints filed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources against the couple and their co-respondents as not backed up with solid evidence.

This immediately led to the suspension of the arraignment, although Go questioned whether the address to the Special Prosecutor could bind him. This did not stop Mayor De La Cruz and company though from celebrating their triumph.

But there was another twist to the actuation of Justice Secretary Gonzalez. Iloilo Gov. Niel Tupas charged Gonzalez of orchestrating a grand design to punish him for turning against President Arroyo. He also accused Vice Gov. Roberto Armada of being "part of this conspiracy."

Tupas presented the Capitol mediamen a letter from Gonzalez asking him to comment on an administrative complaint filed by the People’s Graftwatch of Iloilo Inc. in Malacañang.

Tupas asserted that the Department of Justice has no jurisdiction to hear administrative charges against him for alleged acts of dishonesty, grave misconduct in office and an offense involving moral turpitude.

"This is clearly part of a grand design to suspend me and punish me for joining the call of Senate President Franklin Drilon asking the President to resign the wake of the Garci tape controversy," Tupas asserted.

Provincial Administrator Manuel Mejereda, on the other hand, claimed that Gonzalez’ move is highly questionable since the Department of Interior and Local Government supervises government units.

Mejerado has raised the issue that Gonzalez is usurping and arrogating to himself the prerogatives of another department in pursuit of his campaign of vindictiveness and quest to install himself as the political kingpin of Iloilo.

"Gonzalez, being the Justice Secretary, should be the first to observe the rule of law," emphasized Tupas.

As they say in politics, "all politics is local " and it seems that the battle for the minds and hearts of the Ilonggos is now being waged between Tupas and Gonzalez.