Sex videos alarm Bacolod parents, Church authorities

I was about to write about a change of schedule for the meeting of the Regional Development Council of Region 6 with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in Cebu City. But I suddenly found myself confronted by a report from a distraught Jimmy Araneta about the proliferation of cellular phone videos of students engaging in sex in Bacolod.

Prior to that first-hand testimony by Jimmy, I had already heard similar stories about these sex videos. From Araneta’s revelation, the one his son showed him was of a group of coeds of a Catholic school who "molested" a neophyte during a sorority hazing.

"They (the group of girls) entered a comfort room where the tyro was. Then, they (removed) her dress and they took turns molesting her. It was shocking," was how Araneta described.

RGMA Radyo also reported yesterday that a mother had raised concern about secondary students engaging in sexual acts recorded by their cellular phones’ video cameras.

Even Senior Superintendent Pedro Merced, the police chief, suspect that students who allowed themselves to be videotaped engaging in sex may actually be high on drugs.

"These acts do not appear to be those of normal people," he declared.

Msgr. Vicente Rivas, Bacolod vicar general, stressed the importance of imparting spiritual values to the young, stressing that they should be made to understand that it is morally wrong to have sex before marriage.

Negros Occidental school superintendent Eva Belicena appealed to parents to keep a close watch on their children after class activities as well as their surfing of the Internet.

Actually, the Internet gives students easy access to pornographic materials, including those explicitly sexual.

She also asked parents to limit the use of cellular phones by their children, especially students.

Araneta, on the other hand, also told me that he had seen similar sex videos on cellular phones in Manila.

"Now, it seems that fad has arrived in Negros and local coeds seem to have taken up to it," he said.

The most horrible sight, he added, was that of girls molesting one of their own. That shows the deterioration of the morals of the young, he added.

Interdiction

The beating up of a policeman-member of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) recently was actually the third time this happened in Puroks Patuloy and Antonio Luna Interior of Barangay Mambulca in Silay City.

This prompted Silay City Mayor Carlo Gamban yesterday to plan the establishment of two police outposts in the area to seal it off. This was also backed by Silay police chief Celestino Guara.

Actually, three police officers had been beaten up and mobbed by local residents on three occasions. The three were PO3 Vener Cabilitasan, PO1 Dante Victor Escorpion, and SPO1 Mateo Requintana.

The last incident involved Cabilitasan of the PDEA last week only. When he arrested an alleged drug pusher, Roda Mae Alimoot, during a buy-bust operation in Mambucal, a local group mobbed and beat him up.

Cabilitasan managed to grab two sachets of suspected shabu from Roda Mae plus P500 in marked money.

Three weeks earlier, Requintina also arrested two barangay residents for estafa and illegal possession of a deadly weapon. The same happened to him. He was mobbed. Even his residence was stoned by unidentified men who also ransacked and destroyed it several times. This prompted the policeman to abandon his Mambulac home.

Actually, interdiction as a drug-infested village is nothing new. This has been tried in several cases in Iloilo and Bacolod.

A Bacolod barangay found itself virtually isolated from outsiders last year. It was the hotbed of drugs, pointed out PDEA regional director Rolen Balquin.

Gaura said he will request the services of the 6th Regional Mobile Group in the two police outposts.

Police have already identified the alleged financier of the drug trade in the area. He is reportedly called by his neighbors as "Robin Hood" because of his benevolence.

Well, it seems that the PDEA should be able to implement more stringent measures against the locals which are also the ones protecting the drug trade in their area.

Hinobaan mayor dies after Pacquiao match

Hinobaan (Negros Occidental) Mayor Francisco Bilbao passed away at the Riverside Medical Center Tuesday, but not before he was able to watch the delayed telecast of Manny Pacquiao’s fight against Mexican Oscar Larios.

Bilbao succumbed to lung cancer. He was 72 years old. He was also suffering from cirrhosis of the liver, according to Dr. John Ledesma, his attending physician.

His wife, Ma. Teresa Locsin-Bilbao, reportedly decided to take him to the Bacolod hospital when he was about to watch the Pacquiao-Larios match. But Sunday afternoon, he resumed watching the match and just slipped away quietly, according to his brother, Ernesto.

Actually, Bilbao’s cancer was discovered in November last year. He was treated in Manila for a time, but returned to Hinobaan to resume his post, according to the family.

When he was rushed to the hospital, Dr. Ledesma said, Bilbao was suffering from low sodium. This was corrected. Monday, however, he developed shortness of breath and was transferred to the intensive care unit, said Dr. Ledesma.

The family decided not to place him on a respirator anymore. Thus, Bilbao managed to just slip away peacefully, according to his attending physician.

His widow and children Hope and Francisco Jr. joined Ernesto, brother of "Paquit," at his bedside.

Negros Occidental Gov. Joseph Marañon said Bilbao was not only a friend but a man who had dedicated his life to the service of Hinobaan.

Vice Gov. Isidro Zayco described him as a dedicated town mayor.

Although born in Iloilo City, Bilbao graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in management in Spain.

Aside from the two previously mentioned, his other children are Gerard Eugenio, Jean Paul, and Felicidad.

His remains lie in state at Rolling Hill. They will stay there for two days, after which they will be transferred to Hinobaan where he will be buried. Details of the funeral arrangements will be announced later.

Vice Mayor Jane Cubid will assume the mayorship with first councilor Jodybonne Octavio becoming the vice mayor vice Cubid.

Antiqueños in US

It was a surprise to hear Antique Gov. and Regional Development Council chairwoman Sally Zaldivar-Perez report that the Antiqueños in the US (ACUSA) have expressed interest in putting up bonds for the expansion and decongestion of the new Angel Salazar Memorial General Hospital.

One of the ACUSA donors, Vince Sungcaywon, pledged $40,000 (equivalent to P2 million).

"He only requested for one wing to be named after his father. The lowest pledge was $500," said Gov. Perez.

In short, the trip was worth it. And she added that the ACUSA sponsored the plane tickets and the board and lodging for the Antique delegation which included artists who put up an impromptu cultural show.

Well, the RDC 6, she added, has set for July 7 their trip to Cebu City for the consultations with President Arroyo for the mega-regional planning program.

The President, according to Gov. Perez, will preside over the joint RDC-Cabinet meetings where NEDA will present the prospects of "supra regions" delineated by the President.

The RDCs will present prospects to carry out locally initiated development, tapping the potentials of better-off regions and giving attention to lagging areas.

Through this initiative, local leaders are expected to think beyond the concerns of their own locality or region, Gov. Perez declared.

ADDENDUM: Three more persons were charged for the death of 21-year-old Jan Angelo Dollete who died last May 6 following the initiation rites of the Alpha Phi Omega in Sapian, Capiz. The three suspects charged were Archie Durana, Carlette Caldea-Prieta, and Irineo Deneo, a former manager of RCL Marketing in Kalibo, Aklan. Earlier, Task Force Dollete charged 11 suspects for Dollete’s death. The victim was a fifth-year electrical engineering student of the Capiz State University.