Warm welcome to Everest team

Sometimes major events just pile up that one can hardly move to cover other events elsewhere. That’s the case with Bacolod over the weekend.

First, there was the arrival here of the first Philippine Mt. Everest Expedition. They were given heroes’ welcome Sunday in Bacolod City with hundreds of people lining the city streets to catch a glimpse of those who had climbed the world’s highest peak.

That, to a certain extent, eclipsed the formal launching of the Church-backed Anti-Cha-cha caravan which aims to convince Negrenses to campaign for a temporary cessation of the move to amend the Constitution.

The new heroes of Negrenses were Heracleo Oracion, Erwin "Pastour" Emata, former Undersecretary of Transportation Arturo Valdez and Fred Jamili, a Bacolodnon who was also a team member.

The Mt. Everest climbers were swamped by people who asked them for autographs at the airport. Their arrival was also televised. "We were shocked by the challenge of Mt. Everest, but we were also shocked by the warm welcome of the Bacolenos," commented Emata during the press conference held at the residence of former mayor Luzviminda Valdez, spouse of Art Valdez, the expedition head.

The group moved around Bacolod in a motorcade witnessed by thousands in the streets cheering the team members.

But the members of the Everest team had an important message to Negrenses - teamwork enabled them to succeed.

"This was the lesson we learned from our trek up the mountain," Valdez said. In short, Filipinos should now join hands to be able to attain our goal of forging a dynamic society.

Oracion, an adopted son of Cebu City, echoed Valdez’s message and said that motto "Kaya ng Pinoy" is true.

He added that a Unity Climb will be held next year where two teams from Nepal and Tibet will meet at the mountain’s summit to showcase the value of unity.

City Mayor Evelio Leonardia, Valdez’s winning rival, was on hand to welcome the Mt. Everest team at the Bacolod Airport. Other city officials included Vice Mayor Renecito Novero, Councilors Al Victor Espino and acting Negros Occidental Gov. Isidro Zayco.

The Bacolod City and Negros Occidental provincial boards had earlier passed a resolution honoring the Filipino mountaineers.

In a way, the return here of the Mt. Everest expedition served as a reunion for both Mayor Leonardia and former mayor Valdez.

But the more important point was the presence of Valdez’s mother, "Nanay Acion" during the welcome forum at the Valdez residence in Espinos Village II.

From here, the team will also visit the cities of Davao, Cebu and other areas for their victory tour.

Yes, Philippine Air Lines’ John Fortes also accompanied the group, PAL being a co-sponsor of the Mt. Everest expedition.

No illusions

Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navara yesterday launched the anti-Cha-cha caravan here in Negros Occidental but he said he has no illusions that it would be successful.

"Humanly speaking, perhaps you can say that this is a losing proposition. But as a man of faith, I believe that what we are doing now will make an imprint on the consciousness of people and politicians who are bent on introducing the Charter change and also on our people so that they will realize that they could not be fooled and led astray by false and deceptive means," the bishop said.

But Sen. Aquilino Pimentel, who met with the bishop and local non-government organization leaders Saturday said that "Cha-Cha is not going anywhere."

He added that the dialogue between the Senate and the House of Representatives on Charter change is bound to fail unless the House yields its hard-line stance that proposed amendments to the Constitution be voted upon jointly by both chambers.

He said there is no way the Senate would give up its position that amendments be voted separately by the Senate and the House of Representatives in accordance with the 1987 Constitution.

He also called Charter change as a ploy to divert the people from the "theft of the national elections, the raid of the national treasury, and the human rights abuse of the Armed Forces."

The more than 40 vehicles that joined the caravan sported streamers proclaiming "No to charter change now," "No to People’s Initiative," ‘Uphold Freedom, truth and justice."

The Bacolod prelate issued a circular letter last week urging the Bacolod Diocese to join the caravan and protest against Cha-cha.

The pastoral letter cited the Diocesan Synod 2 which states that political involvement is part and parcel of being a Christian. "if the Church ignores politics she would be betraying her own mission on behalf of the human person."

He called the constitutional change via people’s initiative as fraudulent.

The caravan will wind up on June 12 at the Bacolod Public Plaza with a liturgical celebration.

As pointed out by Fr. Edwin Cadena, parish priest of the Our Lady of Lourdes in Bata, the main point is that the message had been spread even if the outcome remains debatable.

Orleans — Iloilo Barangay League president

The Regional Trial Court of Iloilo City last weekk ruled that Cuartero Barangay Captain Marieta Orleans is the legitimate president of the Liga Ng Mga Barangay of Iloilo City.

Judge Loida Diestro-Maputol dismissed the quo warrant to mandamus with prayer for temporary restraining order and injunction against Orleans filed by Barangay Captain Lorenzo Castellano of Ortiz, City proper.

Castellano claimed that he was elected as Liga president on June 25, 2004 by barangay captains disgusted by Orleans who also sits as ex-oficio member of the Sangguniang Panglunsod.

Orleans won as president of the League on July 15, 2002 and assumed as ex-oficio member of the SP on Aug. 15 of the same year.

The court ruled that since respondent Orleans had not been removed or suspended for cause, she remains the incumbent barangay chairman. As such, she continues to be the president of the Liga ng mga Barangay.

This ended a prolonged case which puzzled Iloilo City residents on who really should represent the Liga ng Mga Barangay in the city council.

In fairness to Vice Mayor Guillermo dela Lana, he refused to recognize Castellan as Liga representative to the board.

SOLFED member’s murder unsolved

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents in Caraga may be in for a surprise. Officials of the Save Our Language Through Defedralism (SOLFED) are focused on the month-long unresolved murder of Jemaria Varron, a SOLFED member.

Reports said that Jemarie was invited to a barangay fiesta in Bario Obrero by a female acquaintance. However, a Chinese friend picked her up from the fiesta celebration and brought her to Dottie’s Place, a Butuan hotel, using a van.

Between 1 to 3 a.m. of May 2, Jemarie reportedly hurriedly left the hotel but four men allegedly followed her and grabbed her as she was about to board a tricycle and dragged her to a van.

Later, her naked body with stab wounds was found. One breast was almost chopped off and there was a stab wound above her sex organ. A wound on her palm indicated that she must have grabbed a knife.

It has been more than a month now. But there is something more to this case than meets the eye. And SOLFED officials, including Dr. Joey Dacudado, the only neurosurgeon in Caraga, are closely monitoring the progress of the investigation.

There are talks that a well-connected Chinese businessman was involved in the crime. And there are even talks that some lawmen have been harassing Jemarie’s family, including her mother Teresa.

Watch for media members descending on Butuan to verify all the progress or lack of progress of the investigation.

That’s what happens when investigators believe that a murder can go on unnoticed. Unfortunately, this is something which SOLFED media members are closely monitoring.

Well, we hope that the investigation picks up after this column.