Bacolod Diocese launches anti-Cha-cha caravan Sunday

Even while the Sigaw ng Bayan has just conducted its workshop on the legal issues involved in the people’s initiative, the Bacolod Diocese will hold, through its Social Action Center, a six-day Diocesan Anti-Cha-cha caravan on Sunday, according to Fr. Aniceto Buenafe, social action director.

On the other hand, ULAP, the organization of local government units, is expected to finish in two weeks its nationwide consultations to explain to the people the need for Charter change.

Priests, religious institutions and lay organizations have been invited to participate in the caravan that will assemble at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Bacolod Plaza.

At 2:30 p.m., a Eucharistic celebration will be held at the San Sebastian Cathedral, said Fr. Buenafe. The send-off rites will be at 3:30 p.m.

The motorcade will pass through San Juan street, Rosario, Araneta, Tangub, Punta Taytay, VMA, Allied, the Divine Mercy Shrine in Bago, Pulupandan and Valladolid. This will end with a program.

The caravan will then move on to Valladolid, San Enrique, Pontevedra, and Hinigaran. On Tuesday, it will proceed to Isabela, La Castellana, and La Carlota City.

On Wednesday, the motorcade will proceed to Murcia and then to Paglaum Village, Handumanan, Bangga Cory, the Circumferential Road, and E.B. Magalona. The following day, the caravan will head toward Victorias and Silay City.

On Friday, the motorcade will take off from Silay, proceed to Talisay and culminate in a program at the Bacolod Plaza.

Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra recently came out with a strong position against constitutional change, especially the people’s initiative, and asked the laity and the clergy to oppose vigorously the attempts to change the basic Charter. He denounced what he said were the lies and deception behind the move.

Cha-cha is racing toward a denouement. And in the Bacolod Diocese, the Church has taken a strong position against it. That is worth watching.

Meningo scare precipitates row

Remember how Baguio residents and businessmen last year reacted to meningococcemia that scared away a lot of tourists from the Pines City. That seems to have sparked the same bitter recriminations in Barangay 27 of Bacolod City.

The reason: a four-year-old boy suspected to have died of meningococcemia Monday at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Hospital has put a strain among residents and officials of Barangay 27.

The boy’s death certificate stated that he died of pneumonia and other infections. But barangay captain Laura Blasi said the report that the child died of meningococcemia has scared residents, many of them fearing that the disease might spread in their community.

Dr. Jovy Vergara, assistant city health officer, admitted that emotions are running high in the barangay over the issue, which has reached the complaints desk of Police Precinct 4.

Dr. Eriberto Leyda, pathology department head of the CLMMRH, strongly suspects that the boy (name withheld) is suspected to have died of meningococcemia.

But as of late Thursday, there was still no definitive confirmation of this suspicion.

Relatives of the four-year-old boy reportedly shouted at barangay officials for allegedly shaming them by claiming that he had died of meningo which has yet to be confirmed.

The boy’s family lodged a complaint against barangay kagawads Rebecca Deslate and Myrna Obligar, and health worker John-John Parisan for allegedly shaming them by confirming that the boy died of the deadly infectious disease. This, despite the absence of confirmatory findings.

Deslate, on the other hand, filed a complaint against Liezel Parandas for oral defamation when she berated barangay officials, calling them gaga (stupid), and wala pulos (worthless).

Rep. Monico Puentevella (Bacolod City) stepped into the controversy by asking the health department to distribute medicines to prevent the spread of the disease. "We just have to be prepared," the lawmaker said.

Well, as they often say, sometimes just taking the necessary precautions can stir panic as what had happened in Baguio City which suffered a major loss of income despite the lack of confirmatory findings. Typhoid in Kabankalan City But in the case of Barangay Orong in Kabankalan City, the report is that 19 residents were confined in different hospitals after they were diagnosed to be suffering from typhoid fever.

Dr. Isagani Ayala, Kabankalan City health officer, however, stressed that it cannot be considered an outbreak since it has only affected about two to three percent of the barangay population.

Only one of the 19 typhoid-stricken patients remains at the Kabankalan District Hospital. The three others are confined at the Dr. Gumersindo Garcia Memorial Hospital, he said.

But Orong barangay captain Leticia Britanico said 55 other residents have asked for medicines from the CHO for treatment of typhoid-like symptoms.

Most of the residents were refused hospitalization because of poverty. Efforts are being taken to have them undergo blood culture examinations, which they may still avail themselves of on June 5 when the patients’ blood samples are brought to the Villanueva Laboratory in Bacolod for tests.

Ayala suspects that contaminated water may have triggered the disease among Orong residents.

Midwives and other paramedical personnel have been deployed to undertake an educational campaign against typhoid among local residents, he added.

That is one disease that usually occurs at this time of the year with the onset of the rainy season when potable water sources become infected by runoff liquid.

Judge orders Army to produce abducted men

Kabankalan Regional Trial Court Judge Henry Arles yesterday ordered Army officials in Negros to produce two men, one of them an alleged top-ranking New People’s Army leader, seized in Ilog’s Barangay Andulawan last weekend.

The two are Roberto Marapo, alleged commander of the NPA’s Barangay Gerilya 3 operating in central and southern Negros, and Dionelo Borres, a farmer and former employee of the Sipalay City government.

The order was issued to Col. Norman Flores, commander of the 61st Infantry Battalion, and Brig. Gen. Jerry Jalandoni, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander.

Relatives of both Marapo and Borres filed the petition for habeas corpus, claiming that the two were abducted by members of the military.

Both were reportedly riding a yellow Aura motorcycle in Barangay Andulawan in Ilog Sunday when they were blocked by a white-silver van and forcibly abducted by four persons, two of them identified as 61st IB intelligence operatives. Several Ilog residents witnessed the abduction, the petitioners claimed.

Jalandoni, however, denied that the abductors were Army men. He asserted that the abduction could have been done by other groups such as communist "rejectionists" or vigilantes.

That’s the first habeas corpus issued by the court in the wake of several abductions and mysterious killings in the province since last year.

ADDENDA. Last week, I mentioned about the politics in Iloilo and the early speculations on who are going to run in next year’s elections. The latest concerns Ma. Lourdes Arroyo, elder sister of Rep. Ignacio Arroyo. Marilou is rumored to be running in the fourth district of Iloilo, whose incumbent congressman is Ferjenel Biron. Marilou is the wife of saxophonist John Lesaca. She was last reported to be a registered voter of Barangay Bacurananan in Passi City. She was also reportedly eyeing the possibility of vying for mayor of La Castellana or Binalbagan town in southern Negros’ fourth district. Iggy Arroyo said he cannot stop his sister if she wants to run for any position in next year’s elections. Marilou is reportedly organizing outreach programs in various towns and Passi City in the fourth district… On the other hand, several business establishments in Dumaguete City have complained about the circulation of fake SSS checks in Negros Oriental. One of them, Rey Cang, a storeowner, claimed that he held one check for verification, suspecting that it was fake, and it indeed turned out to be counterfeit. There were other checks encashed and they turned out to be in the names of fictitious persons. Cang said the checks appeared to be genuine, but one of them contained 11 numbers instead of just 10.