How God works thru mysterious ways

Ilocos Sur Governor Luis "Chavit" Singson, the whistle-blower who blew Joseph Estrada into kingdom come, should have been used earlier to campaign for the senatorial candidates of the People Power Coalition. In the Ilocos region which is his turf, and in parts of Mindanao where there are large colonies of Ilocanos, Chavit, with his folksy Ilocano style, could have gained votes that could make a difference between No. 13 and No. 14 for a PPC bet.

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But better late than never. Chavit is making some homestretch forays in the campaign trail. In a speech before the people of Pangasinan, he advised them not to vote for "lunatics" in the Senate. Your guess is as good as mine as to whom Chavit was referring to.

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What is going for the PPC senatorial candidates is that they have President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who can be very persuasive and convincing, tirelessly campaigning for them. And they also have idea-men like Paul Aquino and Dodie Limcaoco who can churn out vote-getting gimmicks like that "13-0 Luzon Run."

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Note that media visibility is the name of the game in the present Senate campaign. President Gloria’s forays are front-page news. On the other hand, the "Luzon Run" can definitely gain a lot of media mileage for the PPC bets – and that would be a big plus for Bobby Tañada, Obet Pagdanganan, and Winnie Monsod, all of whom are within striking distance of the Magic Circle.

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In contrast, the opposition LDP-Puwersa ng Masa is at present beset with awesome problems. For instance, junking is dogging its campaign efforts. In a rally in Olongapo City, reelectionist Senate bet Juan Ponce Enrile reportedly openly junked Orly Mercado and Noli de Castro. With the campaign at the homestretch, junking of teammates can be very fatal.

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God knows what to do to His people for whom He has an assigned mission on earth. God gives them a long life, and even saves them from death. Yes, it is truly mysterious how God makes His plan work, oftentimes through circuitous routes.

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Take the case of two seminarians who are now priests – Fr. John Azarcon, a diocesan priest of Capiz, and Fr. Jerome Angulo, a Franciscan friar – both of whom were in the throes of death when I received an appeal to help them get an immediate kidney transplant. After I wrote about their plight in this column, God inspired countless Good Samaritans, all of whom were strangers to the two seminarians, to give what they can for their transplant operations at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute. I was thus able to have them airlifted to Metro Manila where Dr. Enrique Ona, now the NKTI director, handled their kidney transplants under a team headed by Dr. Filoteo Alano.

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That was almost ten years ago. And right now, Fr. John is hale and hearty, working in the archdiocese of Capiz and presently on a sabbatical in Rome. Fr. Jerome, on the other hand, is also doing what God has assigned to him, in his missionary work as a Franciscan friar.

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At this time, I am helping another seminarian become a priest of God. Upon the request of Bishop Jesus Y. Varela of the archdiocese of Sorsogon, I am – through the Good Samaritan Foundation – trying to raise the money needed to save the life of seminarian Abraham ‘Bambet’ Mirandilla Jr. of Legaspi City, who also badly needs a kidney transplant.

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The initial expenses cited for the kidney transplant of Bambet amounted to P700,000, an amount which will be very difficult to raise. But God, working in wondrous ways, has seen to it that Bambet will get his kidney transplant, thanks to the intercession of Dr. Ona.

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A few days before Holy Week, late in the afternoon, I received a telephone call from Dr. Ona. He had read about the plight of Bambet, and he wanted to know the details of the seminarian’s planned transplant operation at NKTI. At that time, Dr. Ona did not have any information about Bambet’s planned transplant at the NKTI.

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When Dr. Ona looked at NKTI files, he found no record of Bambet. Eventually, we found out that Bambet was a "pay patient" which explains the big amount to be spent for his transplant. Dr. Ona then suggested that Bambet be enrolled as a "service patient", which will justify the subsidy that NKTI will appropriate for him. Thereupon, I contacted Bishop Varela, through Fr. Gerard Deveza – the renowned healing priest of Bicol – to inform him of Dr. Ona’s suggestion.

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Now that Bambet is a "service patient" under the care of Dr. Ona, we will drastically cut down the expenses for Bambet’s kidney transplant. The money that we have raised so far, from God-sent Good Samaritans all over the country, will be used for the costly post-transplant medicines that Bambet will need. And much will be required to assure that Bambet will not reject the donated kidney.

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In the meantime, it is inspiring to note the generosity of Christian-hearted people who have come forward to support the Bambet Fund. Apparently, they want to save the life of Bambet so that he will soon become a priest, a dedicated servant of God, just like Fr. John Azarcon and Fr. Jerome Angulo.

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Let me thus thank the following who shared some of their blessings in life with the Bambet Fund:
* A lady whose name sounds like "Sacred Heart" from Cagayan de Oro, P5,000 (PNB 0034987)
* Fr. Bob McConaghy, who sent P2,500 (BPI 0122397) thru CBPinangay
* Lando & Olive of Cavite City, P1,000 (thru BPI San Juan)
* Cora Castellvi, P5,00750
* Ms. C.T. of San Fernando, Pampanga, P500
* Judge Arturo Carpio of New Washington Aklan, (Ateneo Law ’61), P1,000 (PMO 3203775)
* Mr. & Mrs. Roberto G. Manabat of Ayala Alabang Village, Muntinlupa, who also helped in the kidney transplant of Fr. John Azarcon, P2,000 (UCPB 0461525)
* "Ms. Erita" of Manila, who believes that "it is more blessed to give than to receive," P1,000 (Metrobank 0334712)
* Emmanuel & Erlinda Capinpin of Malakas St., Quezon City, P1,000 (LBP 0171758)
* Dr. Lydia Lim-Ramirez of Pilar St., Zamboanga City, P2,000 (UCPB 085463)

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Ramon ‘Monet’ Alfonso A. Fuentes, my former colleague at the Manila Overseas Press Club and an active observer of national issues, recently wrote a letter to Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. and Comelec Chairman Alfredo Benipayo, joining the chorus of protests against the accreditation of certain party-list groups. In Monet’s case, his plaint is that there are two accredited groups – "Bagong Bayani-OFW" and "Ang Bagong Bayani" – that used names of which he is the author and copyright owner.

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For the record, the copyrights for "Bagong Bayani Awards" were issued to Monet Fuentes on March 5, 1975 and April 7, 1983. After he issued a deed of assignment for the use of the name in favor of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, the POEA eventually created a Bagong Bayani Foundation, a nonpolitical entity. What Fuentes now laments and objects to is the use of the words "Bagong Bayani" for a political purpose, insofar as the party-list election is concerned.

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My e-mail address: <[email protected]>